Rangers at Hogwarts
by ChildDevil04
Summary: Tommy gets a surprising offer to teach at Hogwarts. There he will find himself in a strange new world that is also home to someone not so new. Someone he never thought he'd see again. So this is where she went. T/K
1. Prologue

A.N: So I was reading Harry Potter and the Mystic Force by Michael Weyer, a good story by the way, it inspired me to finally write down the HP/PR crossover thats been rattling in my head for a while. This has no relation to that story, it just sort of inspired me to put mine to paper. This is just the prologue to see what people think.

Disclaimer: I own neither The Power Rangers nor Harry Potter. Disney's got the first, JKR has the second. Lucky people.

Dr. Tommy Oliver stared at the parchment in front of him in something akin to shock. "Who the hell uses parchment anymore?" He wondered out loud as he poked it with a finger. When it just rolled a little bit he continued to look at it with confusion on his face. "And how the hell did it get down here?" Here was his private lab in the basement of his home in Reefside. Well, his marginally private lab, all the Dino Rangers knew about it, though they didn't use it so much anymore since Mesogog's defeat three years earlier. His lab was incredibly well protected, or so he'd thought, and it should be impossible for anyone to get in and leave him something without his knowledge. Finally he decided to just open the roll and see what it said. After all, if they'd gone to the effort of getting it here, the least he could do was read it.

_Dear Dr. Oliver,_

_I am sure you are concerned about this breach of your privacy and I assure you that I have no evil intentions. I merely wished to extend to you an offer of a position that may be of some interest to you. _

_I am Minerva McGonagall and I am the Headmistress of a private and very exclusive boarding school in Scotland. We are currently searching for a someone to fill a position at our school that I believe you are well qualified for. Among the other duties this person would be asked to teach a self-defense class involving forms of both armed and unarmed combat. _

_I did not pick your name randomly, you were suggested to me by a member of my staff who believes you would be the best person for this job. If you are interested in hearing more about this opportunity please meet me at the statue of the Dragon in Reefside Park on Saturday morning at 11 am._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts_

Tommy read the letter three times before he finally processed most of it. But the letter created more questions then it answered and he honestly had no idea what to do about it. His only choice it seemed, would be to show up at the park on Saturday to see what this woman had to say.


	2. A Whole New World

A.N: So the prologue to this was recieved better then I thought it would be. So, here's the 1st chapter. It's not very long, as those of you who generally read my stuff know, but I'm gonna try to get the chapters up to my usual length. I make no garauntees as to regular posting either. This whole thing is still really just in my head, God alone knows where it is gonna go. On that note:

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of it. And never will, so as you guys who read me know, this is the last time this will go up unless I start using lyrics or other things like that.

Ch. 1: A whole New World

Saturday morning found Tommy still undecided about what he would do. He'd been rather indecisive all week about whether or not he would even meet with this woman much less trying to come to a decision about what he would do. The new school year was due to start in 2 weeks and if she was going to offer him a position he was going to have to make a choice fast. And Elsa, who had taken over at Reefside High again after being drained of the evil influence placed in her by Mesogog, was not going to be happy with him if he chose to go to Scotland.

And she wasn't the only one. Though he hadn't said anything to Hayley or any of the Dino's they knew something was up. And he knew without asking them that they would hate him moving to Scotland, though they would no doubt support him if he felt it was the right thing to do. But all of these decisions about moving to Scotland had to come later. Right now he had to decide if he was even going to be in the park at the statue at 10.

In the end, of course, he went. Truthfully it would have been more suprising if he hadn't. His sense of curiosity was to strong and he had to have more information, even if he would ultimately end up declining whatever offer would be made. And, if more truth is to be told, he'd been a little bored since the destruction of Mesogog and was hoping that this would be able to shake things up a bit.

Regardless, however, of why he was there, at 9:55 am Tommy was sitting on a bench next to the statue of the dragon in the Reefside Park. Looking around him he tried to figure out which of the people could be this Minerva McGonagall. Given that she was the Head of a school in Scotland he figured it wouldn't be someone he recognized, but really he didn't recognize most of the people around him. He only knew the parents of the kids in his classes and those weren't the parents one generally found int eh park on a Saturday morning. He was surrounded by the parents whose kids weren't old enough to be in high school yet and whom he had therefore not met yet. Reefside is a small town yeah, but it was not so small that he knew all of the inhabitants.

At exactly 10 a tall, thin woman stopped in front of him. Her dark hair was liberally streaked with grey and pulled back into a bun that looked positively painful it was so tight. Her glasses sat just so on her nose, in a way he himself could never manage, and he knew it was because she would tolerate them in no other fashion. She was wearing a deep green dress that skimmed the ground and had a piece of plaid tied around her shoulders, almost like a shawl.

"Dr. Oliver?" Her voice was both stern and kind. She sounded like the sort of woman who would be a tough teacher, but a caring and gentle one at the same time. A teacher who would not only care about how you did in her class but also about you as a person.

"Yes." He said simply. Before he could elaborate on that, or indeed say anything further she was speaking again.

"Good. I am Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts. Thank you for meeting me here today, despite the unorthodox manner in which I contacted you."

"It was a bit unusual." Tommy agreed. "But I must say, it only heightened my curiosity. I had to at least meet with the person capable of getting a letter into my home without setting off any of my security systems. You wouldn't mind sharing how you did that would you? If there's a hole in my system I'd like to know so it can be fixed."

"Rest assured Dr. Oliver, there are no holes in your security system. If you know of somewhere that we can talk in a very frank fashion about things others shouldn't hear then I can explain to you how it happened."

Tommy gave her a long look as he tried to decide if he trusted her enough to take her to the lab. Finally he decided that since she probably knew about it anyway it couldn't hurt much so he nodded. "I know of a place."

-HPPR-HPPR-HPPR-

Tommy sat back in his big, comfy leather chair with a look of stunned shock on his face. He wasn't quite sure what it was that he'd been expecting she'd say to him, but this, this sure as hell was not it. He'd thought it was weird enough that the person in charge of an exclusive private school in Scotland wanted him to teach the students karate. But this took the cake.

That exclusive private school was exclusive and private because it taught the students magic?

He'd been tempted not to believe her, or at least to act like he didn't since he'd seen Mystic Force in action, and he was formerly a Power Ranger so it wasn't like he didn't know it did exist. But this magic was different from what Mystic Force did. And very different from the types of 'magic' that were involved with being a Ranger. This was more like the magic of legends and he wasn't sure he wanted to believe it.

But after she'd pulled out her wand, which by the way looked nothing like the ones that Mystic Force used, and showed him a few spells he had to admit he believed her. But then he couldn't figure out what she wanted with him. Or to be more specific, he couldn't figure out why she wanted him to teach a bunch of kids who knew how to defend themselves by means most people couldn't counteract how to defend themselves. And he was giving himself a headache trying to figure it out.

"Can you go over that one more time?" He said finally. "I get the magic part and everything. Where I get confused is about how I fit into all of this. I don't have any magic, I can't teach these kids anything about it. So what is it you want me to do?"

Minerva fought the urge to sigh. She knew what she was asking sounded ridiculous, which is why it had taken so long for Harry and Kim to show her it was necessary, but she was starting to get tired of explaining it to people. Was it really so hard to understand?

"I want you to teach my students how to defend themselves in physical combat. It was recently brought to my attention by the war in our world that knowledge of spells both offensive and defensive is not always enough to save ones life. Particularly the lives of students pitted against those who are older and more knowledgeable. While I can't do anything about those who died in the war I would like to institute a physical training program at Hogwarts to help combat such helplessness in the future. And I want you to help me set that up."

Tommy thought for another long moment now that everything had been laid out. It wasn't really all that different from training a new Ranger team. Except these kids had different powers. No biggie really, they were still just kids. And he had been bored lately.

"I'll do it." He said, surprising Minerva with his rapid agreement.

"Are you sure you don't want to take more time to consider it?" She probed. "You didn't take very long to decide."

"I never do, I'm very impulsive. I've been bored lately and this sounds like fun. It's not like I'll get in any trouble or anything. Besides, I need to get away from here for a bit and figure things out, this is a good opportunity for me to put the past behind me."

And with that it was settled. Tommy Oliver was going to Hogwarts.


	3. Quitting A Job

A.N: Okay, I'm so very sorry this took so long to get out. I've had it finished for about 2 days but I kept not having time to type it. And I was trying to decide where I'm going with this story as it still isn't very planned out. So for those of you asking me those sorts of questions, sorry I have no answers. But do keep asking them, it helps me figure out what I still need to decide.

Disclaimer: I still don't any of it. Nor do I have a job. So if you decide to sue me anyway, you won't get any money. I don't reccomend it.

Ch 2: Quitting A Job

After Tommy agreed to teach at Hogwarts he was faced with a new problem: how to tell people he was leaving. He hadn't even told them he had another job offer so how in the hell as he supposed to tell them he was leaving? And not just leaving the city, but also the state, and worse, the country?

No doubt about it, they were gonna freak. His head would be force fed him for breakfast. He was gonna be chained into his lab. They weren't gonna let him go. This was not gonna be good. And Tommy didn't want to face it. As it was, he had to pack, buy a ticket, figure out what he was doing with his house and quit his old job. He didn't have time for the histrionics of his 'kids' or Hayley or any of the rest of his friends.

The first thing on his list of things to do after McGonagall left him reeling in shock that he'd actually agreed was call Elsa and ruin her day. No doubt about it, it would ruin her day. Fortunately he hadn't actually signed a contract for this year yet, otherwise he would have been in major trouble. As it was he'd be lucky if he managed to avoid seeing her for the next two weeks. Complete avoidance would be much better for his continued good health.

Leaning over he picked up the phone and, taking a deep breath, dialed the number for Anton's house. Else and Anton Mercer had started living together 6 months earlier and Hayley kept saying they'd be seeing an engagement ring on her finger soon enough if Anton had his way.

"Hello?" The voice that answered belonged not to his boss but to his old friend.

"Anton. It's Tommy. Can I talk to Elsa?"

"You calling to maker her day and finally actually sign that contract?" Tommy could hear Anton moving through his house in the background.

"Umm. . ." the hesitation in Tommy's voice spoke volumes.

"You're in trouble my friend." Anton said before handing off the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Elsa. How are you?" Tommy's too bright tone immediately made Elsa suspicious. As his former enemy she knew he only sounded like this before delivering news you weren't gonna wanna hear.

"Cut to the chase Tommy. How much time do you need off to save the world?" There were advantages to knowing one's employees as well as Elsa knew Tommy and it saved a lot of time to just remind him that she knew about his Ranger life and she knew the unavoidable happened.

"See, umm . . . that's the thing. It's not to save the world." He paused a moment to brace himself while Elsa recovered from her shock. Tommy Oliver had a none Ranger related problem? Unthinkable!

"I . . ." Tommy paused another moment. "I sort of took another job." And then he silently counted backwards in his head '3 . . . 2 . . ."

"You did what?!" Elsa shouted so loudly that he had to pull the receiver away from his ear. "Thomas James Oliver, tell me you're joking or so help me I'm gonna do what Zeltrax failed to do."

"I did." He sighed. "Look, its not personal. It's just, I need a change. I need to get away from Reefside for a while. It's been four years since Dino Thunder and two since Jen died and I just . . . I need to get away."

"Oh honey." Elsa's tone softened the moment he mentioned his deceased fiancé. "Of course you should get away. Don't worry. I know Anton will fill in until I can get a long term replacement." From the muffled noise on the other end Tommy wasn't so sure Anton agreed but he figured he'd let the couple work that out for themselves. "Where are you going?"

"Scotland. There's a boarding school there looking for a martial arts and physical fitness instructor. It had been suggested to the Headmistress that she consider me for the position. That's how I got the job. I'm only locked in for a year. After that, who knows, I may be ready to come home."

"Let us hope so. We'll all miss you while you're gone. And, as long as I'm the principal, you always have a job at Reefside High."

"Thanks Elsa. Oh, and please, don't mention this to Trent. I haven't told the kids or Hales yet that I'm leaving. I'd rather they find out from me."

"Sure thing, but Tommy, you might want to do it soon. News travels fast here and I do have to find another science teacher."

"I will. Hopefully tonight."

A.n2: Next chapter: The Dino's find out and Tommy see's Hogwarts for the first time. Course that might be two chapters. We'll see Kim the chapter after he sees Hogwarts so in either 2 or 3.


	4. Saying Goodbye

Ch 3: Saying Goodbye

Ch 3: Saying Goodbye

After Tommy hung up with Elsa he was faced with the admittedly difficult task of telling Hayley and the Dino's that he was leaving. He was looking forward to doing that about the way you look forward to a root canal. That is to say, not at all.

All of them had gotten rather overprotective and anxious since Jen's car accident two years earlier and he knew they wouldn't take it well that they would be unable to watch over him for the next year. One would think that he couldn't take care of himself. Just because he'd been a mess for the first few months after her death, and, to be honest, he hadn't been able to take care of himself then, that was no reason to think that it would be so now, two years later.

But, despite all this, they were his friends. More then his friends, they were his family. His parents had died shortly before he moved to Reefside and he and his brother David didn't really talk anymore so the Dino's and Hayley were really all the family he had left. He used to count the originals in that group, all eleven of the others, but the days since he'd done that had since gone by. He hadn't talked to any of the other original Rangers in nearly a decade. He'd heard that Kira had met Adam when they'd both been summoned by the Sentinel Knight to help the Overdrive Rangers, but that was the last he'd heard of any of them on a personal level.

Professionally of course he'd heard things about many of them. Tanya was now a famous pop star, though she was apparently starting to segue into country music instead. And where Tanya was there was Adam because he was her manager. He also helped Kat out, she was a professional dancer with some company in New York, and he occasionally represented Rocky and Zach in their stunt business as well. Justin and Billy had gone into business together and now ran one of the most competitive computer and gaming companies in the world. There were rumors, which Ethan related to him on a nearly daily basis, that WolfStorm, Justin and Billy's company, was in the process of buying out Microsoft. If the rumors were true that would make WolfStorm insanely powerful in its chosen fields as Microsoft had recently bought out Nintendo.

Jason, Trini, Aisha and Kim, however, had pretty much disappeared. He, of course, hadn't seen Kim since that Murianthias incident 13 years earlier and no one ever said anything about her so as far as he knew she could be running the most successful fashion company in the world and he wouldn't know it. Aisha and Trini had disappeared from his radar about six months after Dimitria decided the Turbo team should all pass on their powers. He'd heard something about a veterinary clinic but he couldn't be sure about that. And Jason, well Jason had stuck around the longest. He and Jason hadn't lost contact until just before he took up the internship on Mercer's doomed island. In fact, Jason was the reason he'd taken that post. They'd had a massive blowout over Terry, the girl Tommy was 'seeing' at the time, read sleeping with but nothing else, and Tommy had taken the position there. He hadn't seen or heard from Jason since.

So, Tommy was willing to let the Dino's and Hayley be his family, he didn't have another one. But with that joy came the hardships of them all treating him like a little brother even though he was 10 years older then most of them. Apparently, however, they'd decided that due to the hardships in his life he needed to be looked after, and since it made them happy he'd let them do it. But lately, lately he'd been chafing under the 'let's look after Dr. O' strings. He was ready to take charge of his own destiny again and he figured the best way to do that would be to get away for a while. Not forever, he loved them all way too much to leave them forever, but for a while. Just so he could get his head screwed on straight again.

In order for him to leave though he had to say goodbye. If he didn't they'd probably use the Ranger Tracking System and hunt him down. And wouldn't that be embarrassing? Or they'd call up Andros and have him put out an ARPB on him. Which would also be embarrassing. Though, come to think of it, if he was in Scotland they wouldn't find him with an ARPB. And the Ranger Tracking System might not find him inside Hogwarts. McGonagall had mentioned something about wards and something about something like that. Really he hadn't been paying that much attention to that part of what she'd been saying, he figured if he asked nicely she'd explain it again. Too bad he hadn't payed attention though. Then he might know if he had a chance of sneaking away.

The only problem with sneaking though, other then the embarrassing situation that would result if they found him, was his homecoming. In short he'd never really be able to come home, because if he did they would kill him. And he wanted to be able to some home. So he had to tell them. But how?

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

The next day Hayley and the Dino's all gathered together at Tommy's house. He'd decided to have a barbeque there and he'd tell them after they'd eaten. The logic behind this plan was simple. First of all, after they'd eaten they would hopefully be too stuffed to put much effort into killing him. And second, if they did decided to try and kill him then they wouldn't be seen as they attacked and he defended because he owned all the property for 10 acres around his home.

The group spent the first little while gossiping. It had been a while since they had gotten together as a group so they were all sharing what had occurred in their lives since the last time they'd all been together. The amicable conversation continued on through dinner. Tommy had grilled up nice thick pieces of steak as well as some chicken. This had been paired with potato salad, macaroni salad, pasta salad, regular salad (for Kira and Hayley), corn on the cob and his famous deviled eggs. In short they probably had enough food to have fed Washington's troops at Valley Forge.

After dinner they all gathered on the deck with drinks in hand, ready to continue their gossip session, when Tommy decided it was time to drop his bombshell. Standing he waited until he had their attention before beginning to speak.

"Guys, I actually asked you here today because I have something to tell you." Hayley and Trent looked suspicious, like they might have some clue about what he was about to say, but the other three looked clueless. "I was offered a teaching position at a school other than Reefside High for the school year. It's a school not actually in Reefside."

"I hope you told them where they could put their offer Dr. O." Conner yelled. "You wouldn't leave us."

Tommy shuffled his feet uncomfortably for a moment before looking back up at them. "Actually, I accepted the position."

"What!" Kira yelled. "But, why? Why do you want to leave Reefside?"

"How could you do that?" Trent added. "School starts in 3 weeks, you're making Elsa find another science teacher that fast? How is she supposed to find a science teacher as good as you, as qualified as you, in three weeks? Do you have any idea what she's gonna be like to live with?"

Ethan was quiet, but Hayley decided she had a question to ask as well. "Where is the school Tommy? You said it wasn't in Reefside, but you didn't say where it was."

Tommy winced, he'd been hoping nobody would notice that just yet. He should have known better considering two of the people he was talking about were Hayley and Ethan. "Umm, its in Scotland."

"SCOTLAND?!" Five voices yelled.

"Are you crazy?" Connor added. "You're going to leave California for Scotland?"

"You're going to leave us for Scottish people?" Kira put in.

"Why Dr. O?" Trent whined again.

Hayley and Ethan could only stare at Tommy in dumbfounded shock. Ethan particularly had suspected for a bit that Tommy might decide to leave town for a bit, though he hadn't been expecting to learn that tonight, but he'd never thought Tommy would decide to go teach in Scotland.

"Can you teach in Scotland Tommy?" Hayley asked after a moment in which they were all silent. "I didn't think US teaching credentials applied overseas."

"It's a private school so that doesn't really matter. And I was approached by the Headmistress of the school and she didn't mention anything about needing any special credentials. And she's already got a permit and visa lined up for me to work over there. The only thing I still need is a ticket, and actually I bought one this morning. I'm leaving in 10 days."

Another hew and cry rose when he mentioned that there were only another 10 days until his departure. Tommy let them all yell for a bit, to get it out of their systems, before he held up his hand for silence. It was a mark of the respect they still had for him that, while they'd spent the last 2 years practically taking care of him, they all immediately shut up when he asked for silence.

"Let me answer a few of your questions" he said quietly. "I am going to Scotland because I was offered a job there and I think it will be a great opportunity. No offense to any of you, I love you all dearly, but I need to get out of Reefside for a while. I wasn't planning on doing anything this school year, I was going to look into taking a sabbatical next year, but then I was approached by this Headmistress and I decided to take the offer that had been dumped into my lap. Why should I pass up such an amazing opportunity? I leave in 10 days because the school year at this school starts on September 1st."

"But Dr. O, September 1st is a Saturday. Why does their school year start on a Saturday?"

"Because it's a boarding school Kira. All the students report on September 1st regardless of what day of the week September 1st may be." Tommy looked at the group of upset faces. "Look, I'm not doing this because I hate you guys. I'm doing this because its whats right for me. I need to do this. I need to leave for a bit and this is a great opportunity. I get to see another country, experience another culture, and still do what I love doing, teach. But I don't plan on staying there forever. I plan on coming back. At the minute I plan on coming back at the end of the year, but who knows maybe I'll stay for two or three years. If I do that, I'll come back for the summers. This is not me disappearing to the end of the world. You guys will still see me. I just, I need to get away for a bit. Can you guys understand that?"

Silence was his only answer as they stared at him. Pleadingly he looked from face to face, trying to make his point. Trying to make them understand that he wasn't holding anything against them, he just needed to spend some time somewhere else for a while.

Finally Ethan nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah I can see that Dr. O. Truthfully, I've been expecting it for a while now. I would have left before now if I was you, I'm surprised you lasted this long. So go, it'll be good for you. You need it."

Connor, Trent and Kira looked at him in surprise, but Hayley nodded in agreement. "He's right Tommy, you should go. Especially if you feel this strongly that it's the right thing to do. We shouldn't keep you from doing what you feel needs to be done."

Trent and Connor remained silent but Kira indicated her agreement. Connor looked like she'd betrayed him, but kept his quiet. Trent just sighed. "Do what you need to Dr. O."

Tommy knew that was the best he was likely to get so he let the subject turn to other things.


	5. Seeing Hogwarts

Ch 4: Seeing Hogwarts

A little less then two weeks later found Tommy on a plane headed for London. He'd been told he'd be met at the airport by a member of the staff who would take him to the hotel, and then, the next morning, to Kings Cross Station. He was to take the train to the school with the rest of the students apparently. McGonagall had told him, with a soft, proud smile on her face, that everyone should see Hogwarts that way the first time. He'd figured it was best not to argue with her. Besides, really he had no problem taking the train; it would let him see a bit of the countryside.

As the plane hurtled across the Atlantic at speeds Tommy would really prefer not to think about he occupied his mind by attempting to put together lesson plans for his new classes. There wasn't much he could do yet, not knowing exactly how much work was needed, but he could at least put a few thoughts down. The first few days, however, would be devoted to him discovering just what sort of shape his students were in and then, if it was agreeable with McGonagall, grouping them into fitness groups, not age groups.

But, if what he'd gathered was accurate that wasn't likely to happen. It seemed the year groups pretty much stuck together for their classes, in which case his job was going to be that much harder. But no harder than the job of any physical education teacher at any other school. Of course, they were trained for that. All of his training in regards physical education had come from his karate classes, and they were all mostly conducted with students at the same skill level.

After killing the battery on his laptop, Tommy re-stowed it under the seat in front of him and put his own seat back. Settling back he indulged himself in a flight of fancy. He had, so far, not allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to teach at a school where magic was real, and was in face the object of study. But now, with nothing to do for the next several hours, he decided to indulge his imagination. And gradually his fantasy lulled him into a restless sleep.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

After finally getting through customs and picking up his luggage at the baggage terminal, Tommy began to look for the person who looked like they could be his escort. He wasn't sure if they would have a sign for him, the way people frequently did when meeting people they didn't know at an airport, or if they would look so odd they would expect him to find them. 'Or, perhaps,' he thought with a bit of a smirk, 'they have some magical way of finding me.'

A moment later he spotted a tall, dark man holding a sheet of paper with the name T. Oliver written across it in a firm, bold hand. With a small smile at his flight of whimsy, he headed towards the man. Dark eyes looked him up and down and then returned to his face. "Mr. Oliver?"

"Yes." He decided not to correct the man, he seemed like he could be the dangerous sort if provoked and Tommy had no desire to find out what might set him off.

"I am Severus Snape, the deputy headmaster. Minerva asked me to pick you up and then escort you to Kings Cross tomorrow."

"Nice to meet you. And thank you for picking me up. I'm sure I could have found all these things myself. But it was kind of you to come and make sure I don't get lost."

"It's a bit more then that Mr. Oliver. But I shall explain further when we are somewhere a bit more secluded. Are you ready, or do you still need to get your things."

"No, I'm good."

"You only have one bag. I was under the impression that muggles traveled with more when going somewhere for an extended period of time."

"Muggles? Never mind, you can tell me later. I only have one bag because I'm coming from Southern California. I've been told the weather here is much different from the weather there. I figured I'd just do a bit of shopping at some point. And the rest of the things I need for my classes, the things I couldn't take on a plane are being shipped."

"I see. Very well then. Shall we head to the hotel? Perhaps after you get settled in I can answer the questions I'm sure you've thought of since you last spoke to Minerva."

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

After an enlightening conversation with Severus, during which Tommy learned he would need robes to wear around the castle, the two men found themselves in Diagon Alley. Their first stop, Severus had explained, would have to be Gringotts, the Wizarding bank, because his American money was no good in England and most definitely not in the Wizarding world, which used a completely different currency then any other country in the world. Though, Severus had explained further, every Wizarding country used the same currency, which simplified travel in their world.

To say Gringotts impressed Tommy would be accurate. More appropriately perhaps he was in awe. But then he'd been in a state of shock ever since they'd walked into the Alley. All he could do was turn his head from one side to the other in a state of perpetual shock. This place was so different from anything he'd seen before. But the bank, that was another world. The spotless white marble building towered above the rest of the street and it was run by goblins. It was fortunate that he and Severus had to wait a few moments to be helped; it took him that long to regain his powers of speech. Finally though he had concluded his business and they went back onto the street.

Their first shop was a robe shop. Severus led him past the store he would have headed into, Madame Malkin's Robes for Every Occasion, and further up the street to a nondescript building. Inside where robes of a much finer quality then the one's he'd seen at Madame Malkins.

"I don't need any of these." He said, looking around. "The other ones will be fine. I don't think I can afford any of these. I'm just a teacher."

"Nonsense." Severus replied. "They are not as expensive as they look. And the enchantments on these will allow them to last longer, making them a better investment. And I don't know how teachers are paid in your country but teachers at Hogwarts are paid extremely well. More so for the highly specialized teachers such as yourself and I. We are a valuable commodity and that is reflected in our pay."

Tommy looked at him for a moment and then decided that the man knew more about this world then he did and acquiesced. After being measured for the robes he watched in awe as the proprietor waved his wand and a stack of robes appeared on the counter. Counting out the total, which was indeed lower then he'd expected, he then picked up the bag and looked at his guide. "Where to next?"

"Did Minerva tell you about our mail system?"

"She said something about owls. And then something about maybe setting up something else."

"Very well. We will not get you an owl at this time then. Now, are you certain you have no magic?"

"What do you mean?"

"You saw the Leaky Cauldron as we came up to it."

"Yeah, what of it?"

"It is bespelled. Only those with magic can see it, but you saw it before I could tell you it was there."

"Hmmm. So far as I know I don't have any magic. Maybe . . . no, well, maybe . . ." Tommy trailed off, deep in thought and did not notice the speculative look that Severus gave him.

"Is there anything you feel like you should get from here?"

"Do you have a sporting goods store? Someplace where I can get a feel of what sports you guys do have here?"

"Certainly." And so Tommy was led into Quality Quidditch supplies where Severus proceeded to explain just what Quidditch was to him in extreme detail.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

The next morning Tommy was treated to the extremely disconcerting sensation of walking through a wall. Though he didn't actually feel a thing as he went through the barrier at Platform 9¾'s it was still an odd feeling as his mind was convinced he should be feeling something. Making his way onto the scarlet train sitting at the platform he quickly found the teachers compartment and settled into it. A moment later Severus joined him as the other part of the faculty presence of the train. Severus began to read something entitled Potions Quarterly and Tommy amused himself by watching the students coming onto the platform.

He was still watching the students in avid interest when a skinny black haired boy came onto platform with a group of red heads and a brunette girl of about the same age. He was surprised to hear Severus make an exasperated sound in his throat, and turning his head saw his glaring at the group. A moment later Severus had returned his attention to his magazine and Tommy decided to let the incident go. He was new to this world; he refused to comment on things he didn't understand.

The only other moment of extreme interest on the ride when was a blonde haired boy stopped by to say hello. Severus actually volunteered the information that this boy was his godson. Otherwise the ride was extremely pleasant and uneventful. Tommy enjoyed watching the scenery pass and even managed to take a bit of a nap. And play with some of the new toys he'd picked up at Diagon Alley the day before.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

The moment the carriage Tommy was in rounded the bend and he got a full glimpse of the castle that was Hogwarts Tommy knew he had done the right thing. The place was huge and he had not doubt he'd be getting lost in it until Christmas, but an incredible sense of rightness had fallen over him when he got that first unimpeded view of the castle. Ignoring that though, he was extremely impressed with it. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, the sort of place that a little girl would dream about living in as a princess.

Stepping into the Great Hall he looked up and gasped in surprise. The night sky was winking back at him in all of its starry glory. Severus chuckled, the first sound of amusement he had heard yet from the darker man. "It's charmed to look like the night sky. Impressive, isn't it?"

"Very." Sitting in the seat Severus had indicated Tommy continued to look about the hall. The massive room was rapidly filling as the older students took their places at the four long tables that took up most of the room. Severus disappeared to fetch the first years and Tommy was left to fend for himself.

Looking down the table he saw Minerva looking at him and waved hello. She smiled and waved back and he continued to look down the table at the various faces gathered there. At the next to the last face, however, his eyes stopped.

It couldn't be, could it? It wasn't possible, was it?


	6. Old Flames

AN: So I have, happily enough, come to some decisions about this story and what I'll be doing with it. With luck that means updates will be more speedy though to be honest I wouldn't count on it. I don't have the time to write like I did last year when I was posting MF and LtT. But I love all of you guys for being patient and for reviewing. Your Reviews really do inspire me to write faster. Feel free to send me questions, concerns, comments, ideas whatever. I take it all and I'll try to respond.

Ch 5: Old Friends

Last time:

_Looking down the table he saw Minerva looking at him and waved hello. She smiled and waved back and he continued to look down the table at the various faces gathered there. At the next to the last face, however, his eyes stopped. _

_It couldn't be, could it? It wasn't possible, was it?_

And Now:

Tommy was intensely aware that Minerva was staring at him curiously, he was sure he must looked like a fish out of water, a beached whale, a gaping peasant, but he couldn't help it.

SHE was sitting there. Sitting at the other end of the same table. They were in the same room for the first time in over a decade. Minerva was lucky he hadn't fainted in shock.

The brunette he was staring so avidly at finally felt his eyes on her. Turning her head brown eyes met brown eyes and the world seemed to stop for a minute. Then the moment was gone as the new set of brown eyes, the ones belonging to the brunette, rolled up in the back of her head and she slid from her chair in a dead faint.

Despite the anger that had flooded his system the moment he made a positive identification Tommy couldn't help but chuckle. "Same old Kimberly" he muttered to himself as he watched Minerva do something to her that woke her up and then he watched as the two women had an intense conversation. And said conversation was definitely about him, he concluded as he saw them glancing at him from time to time. Before either woman could do anything about it however Severus entered the hall with a line of very young children behind him.

Tommy looked at the kids entering the hallway and suddenly he felt very old. Older then he'd felt when he first started teaching high school. Older than he'd felt during his first battle as the Black Dino Ranger. Watching the innocent young faces of these 11 year old children he felt ancient.

With avid interest he watched the faded, patched black hat that Severus placed onto a stool as one of the rips near the brim opened and it began to sing. After an extremely long song about house unity and how now that the war was over they should all come together to build a better society, Severus began to call the tiny first years up one at a time and place the hat on their heads. Tommy was stunned to see that this hat evidently picked what houses they were going to be in as it would sit there for a moment or two before calling out one of the four house names.

It randomly occurred to him that it might be interesting to compare and see if there was any similarity between the Morphin' Grid and magic. Maybe this Sorting had some similarity to the aspect of the Grid that chose rangers. At the very least it could make an interesting project while he was here. But his first project would be to get some answers. Answers he had waited 14 very long years for. But they would have to wait a bit longer. At the moment he wasn't sure he'd be able to talk to her without getting very angry, and that wouldn't be conducive to getting answers.

After the last of the children had been Sorted Minerva stood and made a very brief welcoming speech before Tommy got another huge surprise. As she sat down massive amounts of food just appeared on the table, directly onto the golden dishes. Gaping at the sight it took Tommy several minutes to decide that he actually was hungry. Looking around he noticed that everyone was digging in with gusto, including the teachers. Shrugging he decided that he might as well follow the example and began helping himself.

Taking a bite of his beef Tommy was surprised at how good it was. He'd heard that cooking in Scotland and England was rather bland, but this was amazing. The meat was perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. The rest of it was also pretty good. The potatoes were coated in an herb mixture that made butter irrelevant. And the asparagus was to die for. He hadn't had asparagus cooked that well in a very long time.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

Kimberly Hart sat in her chambers after the Sorting Feast and wondered why it was that Fate hated her so. Wasn't it enough that she'd had to give up the love of her life? Wasn't it enough that she regretted every day not being strong enough to tell him the truth, or at least break up with him in person? Why did he have to show up now, when she finally had a chance at a real life?

You see what everyone thinks happened to Kim Hart is actually untrue. She was not approached by Gunter Schmidt to train as a gymnast for the PanGlobal games. Well, she was, sort of. She was approached by someone who had assumed the identity of Gunter Schmidt to seek out talent, just not the type of talent everyone thought he was looking for.

Actually it had been a man by the name of Aidan Malfoy. He was the headmaster of an extremely prestigious magical academy in Europe, Italy actually. This school was prestigious to the point of exclusivity. You had to meet very exacting standards to even be considered for admission, and they did not accept applications, they chose you, not the other way around.

Aidan had seen Kim's untapped potential and had decided that between her potential and her warm, open nature she would be a good addition to the school. She had, of course, agreed to attend, while maintaining the fiction that she would be attending a gymnastics school. Aidan had assured her that she would be able to continue her gymnastics training at Merlin's Academy for the Gifted Witches and Wizards and so she felt that it wasn't too much of a lie to tell her friends that she was going to a gymnastics academy.

The next 7 years of her life had been spent in rigorous training. She had been a bit behind her classmates when they started because each of them had spent time at other magical academies, but due to the way Merlin worked she was at least the same age as the other students. And most of those students were more then willing to help her catch up so that by the end of their second year she was in the top 5% of their class. After graduating from Merlin at the top of her class she had been at loose ends. She hadn't finished her muggle education so she was going to find it very difficult to get a job in that world, and she didn't have many reasons to go back there anyway, so she wandered around for a few years doing odd jobs before finally getting a job offer to teach at Hogwarts. Excited by the opportunity she gladly accepted it and had been there now for three years teaching Muggle Studies.

And now, now that she was finally able to get her life back on track after that whole war with Voldemort and spending the last couple of years helping Harry and his friends stay alive and gain the skills necessary to defeat the evil meglomanic, now Minerva had to go and follow her suggestion of 2 ½ years ago and hire a physical education instructor. And not just any physical education instructor but the one person she could have hired that Kimberly wanted to see the least. Despite the fact that she still loved the man silly she didn't want to see him, that would bring up to many old and painful memories. There were to many questions she'd left unanswered. And to many new questions he was sure to ask.

Conjuring herself a glass of brandy Kim counted her lucky stars that he hadn't seen her before the feast when she was in the hall talking with Kason and Kaden. That would have definitely raised some questions that had easy, and not so easy answers. Questions that would have most likely lead to more questions that would have lead to her revealing things she wasn't so sure she wanted to be known ever again. Like how madly in love with him she still was.

Then she remembered the way she'd reacted to seeing him again for the first time in 14 years and snorted in disgust. 'I had to go and faint' she thought to herself. 'I haven't done that in years and I had to do it today when I saw him. Merlin knows what sort of ideas that's going to give him. I guess I'm just lucky Kase and Kade stayed in their seats and didn't decide to come dashing to the front of the hall. That would have caused a major scene. As it is I don't think to many people noticed. Just Min and Tommy.'

She sighed and headed into her room. Her mind was moving a hundred miles a minute as she tried to figure out how she was going to manage this year.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

Tommy sat back and stared at the flames in his fireplace. His thoughts were in a muddle and he knew he needed to settle them and clear his mind before he'd be able to sleep tonight. The first thing he chose to deal with was the wonder of this place he'd found himself in. In a way he was jealous off all the students here. He might get to enjoy this life for a bit, but he wasn't going to try and full himself at all. He didn't fit in here, this was one place were he was always going to be an outcast. They had abilities that far outstripped any he had and he was never going to be able to meet them on an equal plane.

But he was not going to allow that to detract from his wonder. Everything he'd seen made him even more impressed, awed him further. The ceiling in the Great Hall, the Sorting Hat that Severus had finally explained to him, the magical appearing and disappearing food, the fire that wasn't at all hot even though it was fire which is by nature hot, hell the fire that had started burning when he walked into the room but he was fairly certain had not been burning before he walked in. And that was just what he'd seen today. Diagon Alley had been just as full of marvels and the things he'd purchased would keep him occupied for quite some time. He had a large stack of books about this world he now found himself in, he had several games and pieces of sports equipment, he had a miscellaneous collection of things that had looked cool but in reality he had not a clue as to what they did.

After a bit he moved on to what was causing the worst of his confusion: Kimberly. He hadn't really been prepared to see her tonight. That moment when he met her eyes had been shocking. Wonderful and terrible all at the same time.

They had so much unfinished business between them that for that he was glad to see her. But he was confused at the same time, mostly because of that same unfinished business. By rights he should hate her for what she'd done to him. Not only had she broken up with him in a cruel and heartless fashion by means of a letter that had ripped out his insides, but in doing so she'd broken every promise they'd ever made.

But at the same time she was his first love and he couldn't hate her. Even though he'd be in love since, hell he'd been engaged, he still couldn't hate her. A small part of him would always love her, even though she'd ripped his heart out of his chest, broken it into a million small pieces and then scattered those pieces to all corners of the earth.

But he wasn't going to go without answers. Not now, now when she was so damn close. But he could afford to be patient, to plot. She would be here all year after all. Yes, he needed to plot.


	7. A Glimpse

Ch 6: A Glimpse

An: First and foremost, before all else, I must issue a sincere apology. Don't freak out, I promise I am not about to say that I'm ending this story. I have no intention of doing that, I will complete this even if it takes a while. My apology must go to a reviewer who I accidentally confused by not checking my facts before responding to their review and have thus led to doubt themselves. Such was not my intention. So to clear things up for those of you who were not privy to that exchange. I did earlier say that Minerva asked Tommy because of a staff recommendation, and that recommendation did in fact come from Kimberly. However, she was also right in the last chapter when she said she doesn't want to see him. See, I've decided she was drunk when she told Minerva she should bring Tommy to Hogwarts. That way I can say both and don't have to go back and change anything. **Grins** plus I'm the author so I can do about whatever I want! But back to the reviewer, and I forget who it was cause I somehow managed to delete the email though I meant to save it so I could issue an apology by name, I apologize for confusing you it was all my fault. Now, back to the story:

The Chapter:

The next morning Kim found Kason and Kaden waiting for her outside of her rooms when she left to go to breakfast. The immediately converged upon her and in seconds she was wrapped in a two way hug, sandwiched between the two identical boys.

"Mom" they started together, "why did you faint last night?" Kason finished while Kaden looked stared at his mother with huge questioning eyes.

"Do you know that man?" Kaden asked.

"Yeah," Kason continued, "you fainted right after you saw him."

Kim sighed, so much for hoping that they hadn't noticed her little spell the night before, they'd just apparently had the foresight to not go running up to the Head Table. Lord knows what Tommy would have done if that had happened. "Yes honey, I know him. We were friends in high school." She ruffled the dark brown hair of each boy. "Now, what do you say we go grab some breakfast? Cause I know I'm hungry and you two are always starving, so why don't we let you eat someone else's food for a change."

Kaden and Kason gave her identical heartbreakingly handsome grins. "But mom, we like eating you out of house and home!"

Kim chuckled a bit. "You won't be saying that when I can't buy you a new broom because we've spent all our money on food."

Simultaneous gasps of dismay assured her that her threat had been received loud and clear. Really there was no way they would run out of money, but she enjoyed teasing them a lot. And they deserved the lightheartedness after everything they'd been through. Smoothing a hand over each boy's head again, just because she could, she guided them down the hallway to the Great hall for breakfast.

Further down the hall Tommy stepped out of the shadow of the doorway to his rooms. He'd been coming out just as Kim stepped out of her doorway and when he'd seen the two boys practically fly at her he'd decided to see what was to be seen. He had no earthly clue who the two boys could be and he wanted to see if he could find out. He'd been stunned when they called her mom. After that he couldn't have moved if you payed him. Kim had kids? Kim had twins? His mind was having a very hard time wrapping itself around this concept.

As he walked down the hall he was deep in thought. Who on earth could be the father of the boys he'd seen her with? They looked like they were about 13 or so, which would put their conception right around the time Kim had disappeared from all of their lives. And they had slept together before she left that Christmas. But would she really have kept his kids from him for 14 years? Would she really have done that to someone she professed to love? He had no answers.

Looking up Tommy realized that not only did he not have any answers about Kim and her sons, but he also had no clue where he was. And, since he hadn't been paying attention to how he got here he had no clue how to get back to something he did know. Sighing in frustration and wishing this place came with a damn map he turned and started walking back down the hall in the opposite direction. Maybe if he went this way long enough he would end up somewhere recognizable. A couple of minutes later though he came to a dead end with the choice to go either left or right. Growling in frustration he looked both ways several times trying to make up his mind.

Fortunately for his peace of mind Filius Flitwick came around a corner a moment later and saw him standing there trying to decide which way to go. "Lost?" He asked kindly.

"Desperately." Tommy replied. "I was thinking about something and stopped paying attention to where I was going, and I don't remember if I've ever been in this area before, and I don't have a map, and how do you people find your way around this place on a daily basis?" He finally had to stop to breathe after getting all of that out in one rushed breath.

Flitwick chuckled. "Well, most of us professors were here as students as well. Those of us that were receive tours sometime in the first week and if that fails, we have our wands to point us in the right direction. As for maps, well, it is near impossible to render an accurate map of Hogwarts. It has been done, but it is very difficult as the castle changes its layout as it sees fit. Did Severus tell you about the staircases?"

"Umm, the fact that they move? He mentioned something about that, but I thought he was just trying to joke with me."

"Oh no m'boy, he was being perfectly serious. Severus rarely jokes." Flitwick ignored the incredulous look Tommy was throwing his way, were they talking about the same person he thought, and continued to speak. "The staircases move quite frequently actually. It takes some getting used to in order to be able to navigate your way successfully through the halls of this castle. But, since you do not have a wand it seems we shall have to see if perhaps we can procure you a copy of the one successful map that has been managed."

"That would be wonderful" Tommy managed, a little overwhelmed. The staircases actually did move? Freaky!

Though he was grateful for the tiny professors offer of aid, Tommy was nevertheless quite relieved when they reached a corridor he knew. Now he could at least act like he knew where he was going, since he did actually have at least a vague idea of where he was. He was even more relieved when they reached the doors of the Great Hall. Here at least he was on firm ground, and his classroom wasn't far so he wouldn't get lost after breakfast either.

During breakfast he noticed that Minerva was rather busy glancing between himself and Kimberly. Remembering what she had said about receiving a specific recommendation for him from one of her staff he grew confused. The only person he knew on her staff was Kimberly. Yet Kim had fainted when she saw him, thereby suggesting that she was surprised to see him, so she didn't know he was coming. And he'd gotten the sense that wasn't really all that thrilled to see him either. But if she didn't want to see him then who had suggested him? Or had Minerva said that to set him at ease, no knowing that he actually did know a member of her staff?

His thoughts consumed him to the point where he was no longer eating but rather sat staring at his plate with a frown on his face. When the person beside him jogged his elbow they became the recipient of the frown that had previously been turning his breakfast into mush.

"Yes?" he said, rather ungraciously.

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "You're going to steal my reputation if you keep acting like that" he said sardonically.

"What?" The frown vanished to be replaced with an expression of deep confusion.

"You are going to steal my reputation" Severus said slowly, as if speaking to a small child.

"Your reputation?"

"Yes, as the evil git of Hogwarts. I worked hard for that I'll have you know." The tone of his voice made it clear the other man was teasing, but Tommy could feel the pain rolling off of him. But, he decided it was obviously something Severus didn't want to discuss so he choose to respond with a joke as well.

"Don't you know," he said, summoning a grin from somewhere. "You'll have to work hard to maintain your reputation this year, I plan to become the biggest git in Hogwarts history."

Severus snorted softly. "Do you know how long Hogwarts has been around?"

"Nope.'

"About 1200 years give or take a few centuries."

Tommy's eyes bugged out of his head. "1200 years?"

Severus nodded. "You'll have to be really, really bad to be the worst ever."

Minerva dropping a huge stack of parchment onto the table in front of Severus cut off whatever retort Tommy may have made. Instead he watched the normally stoical man sigh and then pick up the stack and head over to the Slytherin table to begin passing them out.

A.N: I know its short. But I've got ideas for the next one and I will do my absolute best to get it out soon. Life has been absolutely crazy lately.


	8. Surprises

A.N: I know this is only a little longer then the last chapter, but I wanted to get it out since I was done with it. I'm really going to be trying to make them longer, hopefully once I finish these last two papers, though that depends on my work schedule. You are getting the benefit of illness, that gives me time to write since I called in sick.

Ch. 7: Surprises

Tommy headed down the hall after his last class of the day. His classes had been rather surprising. The oldest students were, unsurprisingly enough, very resistant to the idea of actually having a physical education class. After all, for some of them it was the first one they'd ever had. The youngest students were all gung-ho about it, ready and willing to do whatever it was he wanted them to do and the students in the middle seemed to be withholding judgement. The student that perplexed him the most, however, was the student that Severus had glared at on the platform, Mr. Potter as he now knew. Many of the students in that 7th year Gryffindor/Ravenclaw class were incredibly deferential to the black haired boy, but he didn't seem to care. And then there was the way he moved, stiff and unsure. Something about it bothered Tommy but he was having a hard time putting his finger on it.

Shaking his head Tommy rounded the corner and promptly stopped in surprise. Kim stood in front of him with an armful of books, deep in conversation with one of the other teachers. He took the opportunity to examine her more closely since she didn't know he was there yet. He was unsurprised to see that the years had been mostly kind to her. It would have astounded him if she looked old or worn, and indeed she did not. She looked much the same as she had 14 years earlier, just older. Her hair was shorter, cut into a series of layers from her nose to the nape of her neck, but it suited her even if he did miss the shining length she used to have. Her features had sharpened and looked even more beautiful then they had before. All in all Kim had grown up and surpassed the potential for beauty she'd had at the age of 16.

Tuning into the conversation he was surprised when he had to hold back a growl of rage. This professor, whoever the hell he was, was asking Kim to accompany him to the Three Broomsticks, whatever the hell that was, for dinner that evening. Though he had no right to be angry, no right to feel jealous he was. Fortunately for his peace of mind she said no, however she did not make it a blanket statement. Instead she just had to qualify it. "Not tonight Septimus, I've got a detention to supervise."

Tommy raised an unseen eyebrow. 'Detention? On the first day of classes? What ever had happened to his sweet tempered Kimmy?' Septimus Vector was apparently having similar thoughts. "Detention on the first day? What happened?"

Kim shook her head. "Mr. Malfoy decided to make his displeasure with being forced to take Muggle Studies known. I swear, if I didn't know for a fact what that boy did during the war I'd be tempted to do something a lot worse then give him detention."

Tommy found himself agreeing with part of Kimberly's assessment. While he had only the smallest idea of what war she was talking about he was a bit more familiar with Mr. Malfoy. He had had the boy earlier that day and it was only his conviction to avoid detentions on the first day of class that had let the boy escape unscathed. After his bout with the Dino Rangers Tommy had a deep dislike for detentions on the first day of school. Not that he regretted how that turned out, well parts of it, but he didn't have all the most pleasant memories associated with first day detentions.

Not long later the conversation ended and Kim headed down the hall, away from Tommy. Septimus was headed in his direction and Tommy forced himself to act as if he'd just turned the corner. He didn't know how the other man would take it if he knew that Tommy had been eavesdropping, and really he was in no mood to find out. Nodding at Septimus he continued down the hall, following Kim without appearing to do so. She turned the corner that lead to the Great Hall and he again followed her, but only because he was hungry.

This time his eyes were watching more then just Kimberly as he walked into the hall, and he noticed the brown eyes of the two identical boys following Kim as she headed to the Staff table. He was a bit surprised to notice that they were not sitting at the same table, rather they appeared to be in different houses. One was sitting at what he knew to be the Slytherin table and the other was at the Ravenclaw table. Apparently identical twins were not always identical. When he noticed both sets of eyes turn simultaneously to him he pretended not to see them and instead headed for his own seat. Really he was going to have to find out who these boys were, who their father was. Not knowing was going to drive him nuts. And their features gave him not a clue because if there was any of their father in them he couldn't see it. They were all Kim so far as he could tell.

After dinner Tommy retired to his room to do some reading. He had a lot to learn about this world he was now a part of and a very short amount of time to do it in. Plus he had to work on figuring out a way to talk to Kim and find out from her what had happened in their past. Not something he was going to be able to work on with her in the same room. He was still as distracted as ever by her presence.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

Kimberly paced her rooms that night rather disconcerted. Despite sitting mere feet from her at dinner Tommy hadn't even said hi. In fact, he hadn't said anything to her yet, not one word. He'd looked, more then once, but he hadn't said a word. For some reason this bothered her. She'd spent most of the day expecting to be confronted by an irate Tommy Oliver, demanding to know the reason behind her letter and subsequent disappearance, but she'd barely even seen his hair all day.

A knock on her portrait startled her out of her thoughts and after checking the mirror beside it that reflected the person before it she called out permission for her sons to enter. From her position beside the fireplace on the far side of the room she had a moment to watch her boys as they came tumbling through the portrait hole. With the concerned eyes of a parent she looked for any signs of the travails they'd suffered, and for any sign that they may still be suffering. Content that her boys were happy and healthy she just watched them shove each other around for a few minutes in a minor spat about who should have gotten to come through the portrait first.

The two boys were pretty much identical. Kason, the older, was about an inch taller then his brother, but they had to be pretty much next to each other and standing still, a rare occurrence, for you to be able to tell. Other wise they were mirrors of each other with thick, wavy dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes that got almost black when they were angry or upset, strong patrician features and the same tall, lean build. Really only their coloring was hers. Her petite, delicate form was not where her boys got their strong, rangy ones.

Kaden wacking Kason across the back of the head caught her attention and pulled her from her thoughts. "Kaden Michael Matthews, what have I told you about hitting your brother?"

He looked at her sheepishly. "That it's a really bad idea because one day he'll be all the family I'll have?"

"Exactly, now what do you have to say for yourself mister."

"I'm sorry Kase. But really I should get . . ." He cut himself off when he saw Kim's glare. "I'm sorry Kase. I shouldn't have hit you in front of mom that way."

Kim sighed knowing that was the best she was going to get out of him. "So what brings you boys by tonight. Shouldn't you be in your dorms doing some homework. I know you had to have gotten some."

"Well yeah, we did get homework" Kason started. "But we wanted to see our mom more" Kaden finished.

Kim was starting to get suspicious at this point. "Oh really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Generally when you voluntarily come to visit me during the week it means that you got yourselves in trouble. Who gave you detention this time?"

Both boys gave her hurt looks. "Do we really have to be in trouble to come visit our favorite mother?"

"I'm currently your only mother" Kim said dryly. "Now, want to tell me what's going on?"

Kason looked at the floor. "Professor Snape sort of gave me detention today when I told him that making us brew Polyjuice Potion was an unreasonable aptitude test for 3rd years and that perhaps he ought to save it for his NEWTs classes."

Kaden rolled his eyes. "Of course he did. You back talked him in class. Prof. Snape always handles that harshly, his class is much to dangerous to tolerate insubordination."

"You're only defending him because he's your head of house!"

Kim stepped in before the argument that was brewing could get out of control. "Boy's" was all she said, but her tone of vice said it all. Both of them instantly shut their mouths. "Good. Now, Kason, what have I told you about getting detention."

"That it means I get a detention from you and another punishment of your choice."

"When is your detention with Professor Snape?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Be in my office the night after at 8pm sharp."

Kason looked like he wanted to protest but after an elbow in the ribs from his brother he swallowed it. "Yes mom." Both boys proceeded to make themselves comfortable on the couch. "Mom?"

"Yes, Kase?"

"Can you tell us about the new professor? We have him tomorrow and we want to know what to expect from him."

Kim sighed. "I'm not going to tell you a lot. Really there isn't a lot I can tell you. I haven't seen him in over 10 years, he's probably changed a lot but back when I knew him . . ."

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

The next afternoon found Tommy in his office working on a layout of partners and such for his classes. He'd decided to teach the older students a bit of weaponry as well and needed to pair them up in order to do so effectively. He was a bit surprised to hear a light tap on the doorframe, but called for the person to enter nonetheless. He was stunned to see one of his 7th years enter the room and, remembering what he'd read last night in his copy of Debretts quickly sprang to his feet.

"Lord Potter, this is quite the surprise. What can I do for you?"


	9. Confrontations

A.N: Okay, real life has been nuts. Which is not much of an excuse but its all I got. I can tell you that instead of reading Said I finished writing this. Now I have frantic writing to do. And I re-wrote this like five times. I thought I was going to change where I was going with it, but then I decided to keep it. Went back and forth a while though. So, if you're still reading this, I appreciate it and I really will try to do better, but life is not so good right now.

Ch.8: Confrontations

Harry looked at Tommy and the older man knew he had just broadsided the young man in front of him. The shock in those emerald green eyes was tinged with something darker, but before Tommy could decipher that second emotion it was gone, along with the shock, replaced by a perfectly blank expression.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said in a controlled voice. "Such things don't exist in our world. And even if they did, I wouldn't be counted among them."

Tommy, however, had plenty of experience with teenagers who were trying to hide things. He and his friends, his kids, his students, at times it felt like he'd never known a teenager who wasn't trying to cover something up so he knew that Harry was lying. Well, not lying per se, he was telling the truth, just not the truth he thought he was telling.

"You didn't know, did you?" He said quietly.

Harry stiffened. "I doubt they would keep something of such importance from me. I'm sure you were just misinformed."

There was doubt in the boy's eyes Tommy noticed, but he didn't think that it was doubt directed at him. Something was going on here he didn't fully understand, but one thing was clear, someone was keeping important things from this boy.

"I can show you how I found out." He offered, knowing the boy would likely need some proof to be convinced. "I promise it was from a perfectly legitimate source."

Harry looked skeptical but curious. No one really knew what this new teacher was like, but so far he hadn't seemed to be the malicious sort and Harry didn't feel like he was the type to pull pranks either. At least not pranks like this. Given that Harry felt impelled to discover just what it was that had convinced this seemingly normal man that he was a lord. Nodding he agreed to see this evidence.

Tommy went to his desk and, pushing aside several papers, finally found the book he was looking for. Handing it to Harry he waited for the boys response.

Harry was silent as he stared at the cover of the book. Though he'd not had the best education before coming to Hogwarts since his muggle relatives didn't appreciate it when he did better than their stupid oaf of a son he had heard of Debrets and knew of its reputation. What he had not known was that there was a Wizarding version as well. Flipping the book open he scanned the list of names and paled when he saw Potter listed right before Prewett. Looking up at Tommy he felt the confusion welling up within him.

"How? Why? I don't understand." He said. "Any of it. How can I be a Lord and not know it, why didn't anybody ever tell me?"

"I don't know, these aren't questions I can answer. I wish I could. I wish I could help. I'm sorry for doing this to you, really I am. I had no idea that you hadn't been told the truth."

Harry searched the guileless brown eyes of his teacher and knew that the man was telling him the truth. Suddenly unsure of everything except that this man was the one person who had so far not lied to him he found himself doing something very uncharacteristic. "Help me? Help me figure out what all of this means?"

Tommy was surprised to say the least, surprised that a teenager he barely knew would ask him for his help on something this important, but he was unable to refuse the request. "Of course. Let me do some research into this, and I'll let you know what I find out, we can move from there."

He could see the hesitation in the boy's eyes, despite the fact that he was the one who had asked for help, but eventually Harry nodded. Tommy gave him a slight smile and then changed the subject. "So what did you come in here for?"

"I was hoping to get some extra training from you. I know I've already defeated Voldemort and apparently that means I can just sit back and do nothing for the rest of my life, but I can't do that. And I want to learn to fight the muggle way. I've done some reading on it before and I remember that they said it was good to help you learn control."

Harry stopped there and it took Tommy a moment to figure out that he was apparently waiting for some sort of confirmation before continuing. "It can help you with control yes. Control is necessary to the effective study of martial arts so it's taught alongside them."

"I need that. I need to learn control. I have all this power and I never learned to control it, all I was ever taught was how to use it. But . . ." for a moment it looked like he was going to share something personal, something intimate with Tommy but that moment passed almost before Tommy realized it had arrived. "I need to control it and I can't do that on my own, I need help."

"I can try. I don't know anything about magic, but I can teach you about control and then we can work to figure out how to apply it to your magic. I'm sure I can get some help on that, or find a book or something."

"Thank you." The relief in the expressive green eyes was enough for Tommy and as he watched his new private pupil walk out the door after setting a time for their next meeting he wondered why it was that Severus seemed so against this young man. He seemed like a good kid.

Dropping into his chair Tommy went back to the lists he was working on, this time with the knowledge that he was going to have to pair young Mr. Potter very carefully. If he was getting private tutoring, and if he was as uncontrolled as he thought he was then his partner would have to be picked very carefully indeed. Dragging his hands through his hair he wondered what other surprises this place held for him.

PRHP PRHP PRHP

Much later that evening Tommy was out wandering the corridors of the school, ostensibly on rounds to make sure there were no students out of their dorms given that it was after curfew, thinking about Kim. This was not new. He'd been doing this pretty much every five seconds since he saw her in the Great Hall a few days before. What bothered him was why. The more he tried to figure out why he couldn't stop thinking about her the more it bothered him that he was.

He'd moved on after she broke up with him. Yeah, it had taken him quite a bit of time, alcohol and meaningless relationships but he'd done it. He'd found a new home, new friends, a new family, a new love and yet now he couldn't stop thinking about her. Everything about her intrigued him, called to him, made him wonder. He needed to know the entire story of her life for the last fifteen years and he needed to know why he needed this information.

Before he could reach anything approaching an answer to any of his problems the sound of a shoe scuffing against stone caught his attention. Suddenly completely alert in only the way a former Ranger can be he quartered the darkened hallway slowly, looking for the source of the noise. Seeing nothing but a tapestry he was about to move on when he noticed that the tapestry bulged out just a bit from the wall. Not enough to hide a person, but it was suspicious nonetheless and so Tommy felt compelled to investigate. Stepping silently to the side of the tapestry he gripped it in one hand and tossed it to the side. It's hard to say who was more surprised, Tommy or the brown-eyed boy standing in front of him.

Tommy hadn't known the tapestry concealed an alcove so he wasn't expecting a person to be standing there and the boy hadn't realized he had been detected. For a long moment they stood staring at each other silently. Tommy finally broke the silence. "And what are you doing out of your dorm after curfew Mr. . . ."

"Matthews, sir. Kason Matthews. And . . . ummm . . . I was . . . I was going to visit my brother!" The triumphant note in his voice told Tommy that this excuse had apparently worked before. To bad for the boy it wasn't going to work now.

"Really?" He quirked an eyebrow in a way that if any of his Dinos had seen would have had them warning the child to be very careful. But they weren't there and so Kason continued, and dug himself a deeper hole."

Yes sir. My brother Kaden is in Slytherin and I was going to go visit him."

"At 11pm on a school night? I highly doubt that this is considered acceptable behavior."

"But he's my twin sir. Prof. Snape said I can stay with him whenever I want sir."

Both Tommy and Kason jumped a foot at the soft snort that followed that suggestion. "I did no such thing, Mr. Matthews." A silky voice cut in, "and I recommend you desist lying to Prof. Oliver immediately or be punished by both of us. I'm sure I could find plenty of work for you for a second detention."

Kason paled and decided that he didn't really want two nights worth of detention from Prof. Snape. He really hated cleaning cauldrons, writing lines and scraping mysterious substances from desks, chairs and dungeon floors. "I really was going to see my brother sir. But I don't have permission to do so. At least not permission to do so after curfew, though I may stay if I'm in there at curfew." He looked at Prof. Snape and was glad to see the man nod in agreement when Tommy sent him a questioning look.

"It's not a privilege extended solely to Mr. Matthews and his brother," he explained. "That is standard Hogwarts policy, though it is not to be abused, one thing that the Heads of House keep track of. Siblings get a bit more leniency, especially twins, but we do keep track of these nocturnal visits."

Tommy nodded in acceptance of this. It made sense to him after all. He then turned back to Kason. "There is still the matter of you being out of your dorm after curfew Mr. Matthews. And of course the fact that you lied to me. So lets say, 10 points from Ravenclaw and one nights detention."

"Detention? Oh man, mom's gonna kill me."

Tommy had to fight the urge to grin. He had no doubt that Kim would have something to say to her errant son, especially since this was apparently his second detention, if what Severus had said was any indication, and the school year had just started. "Indeed," he said mildly, "well perhaps you should have thought of that before sneaking out of your tower. Move along, I'll take you back, make sure you get to the right place this time." He ignored the long suffering sigh from the boy slowly moving along the corridor in front of him and instead bent his mind to figuring out how to take advantage of this unexpected surprise. He hadn't intended to use the boys to figure out anything but now that the opportunity presented itself he wasn't sure he'd be able to resist.

PRHP PRHP PRHP

The next afternoon found Tommy again at his desk, and again being interrupted by a knock on the door. This time however the person on the other side did not wait for permission before entering. Instead the door opened and closed and Tommy found himself staring speechlessly at the one person in the entire castle he wasn't sure he wanted to see.

Kim, however, suffered from no such affliction. "Why did you give Kason detention?" She demanded. "I hope you don't think you can get back at me through my kids because I sure as hell am not going to let you do that."

Tommy had been calm but now he was pissed. She seriously thought he would stoop that low? Okay, so maybe he'd considered pumping the kid for information since he had him in detention anyway, but she seriously thought he'd done it to get back at her? Who the hell did she think she was accusing him of that? "I am not" he said slowly, his voice like ice, "using your son to get back at you. I assure you that he earned that detention all on his own. All he had to do last night was stay in his dorm, where he was supposed to be, and he'd not be keeping me company tomorrow night. I would never stoop so low as to use a child to get revenge on the parent. Nor am I out for revenge. All I want is answers."

"Well you can just keep waiting for those answers. And I'm gonna be watching you Tommy. You take one step out of line when it comes to my kids, one little infraction that's punished to severely, and I will kick your ass." Having said her piece Kim spun on her toe and stormed out of the room.

Tommy watched her go, his anger no less hot, but now mixed with other, more complicated emotions. The fact that she thought he'd use a kid that way made him sick. And the fact that she could jump to conclusions like that made him wonder just what her life had been like. And, it had to be admitted, he was also attracted to the fiery display of temper she'd just given. No doubt about it, it was going to be a very interesting term.


	10. The Trouble with Drinking

AN: So I had this chapter and the next all typed out and ready to go. Then my computer poofed them. I was not amused. I finally found the beginning fragments for this scribbled in a notebook yesterday and typed it out as best as I could remember. So here it is.

And its still not mine.

Tommy was surprised two days later to discover that he was incredibly pissed at Kimberly. He'd thought he had gotten over it, that she didn't really have the power to hurt him that way anymore, but apparently he was wrong. Her accusations that he would stoop so low as to use children in a fight hurt him, a lot, and in typical Tommy fashion he had channeled that hurt to anger. Anger that he'd had no chance to vent or even really acknowledge since she was once again avoiding him.

So, unsurprisingly, that night when Severus invited him down to dungeons for a drink he agreed. He hadn't had a drop of alcohol since the school year started and he seriously needed a drink. Severus took the opportunity to introduce him to FireWhiskey and, unsurprisingly, Tommy got totally pissed. Then the whole sorry story came pouring out onto the unwilling shoulder of the stoic Potions Master. Well, the whole story minus the little, tiny, insignificant detail that they both used to be Rangers, which probably inhibited Severus' understanding of the problem, but even drunk Tommy had control over that secret.

Poor Severus had no idea how to respond to this torrent of information that he'd neither asked for nor wanted. Sure he found himself actually enjoying the company of this muggle man, and he would even go so far as to say they were becoming friends, as unlikely as that may seem, but he didn't really need to know all about the previous relationship between Tommy and the brunette Muggle Studies teacher.

Of course, if Severus thought he'd had problems when Tommy was pouring out his heart he soon discovered that really he had a bigger one. Like, what on earth was he going to do with the 6ft of passed out muscle sprawled in his doorway? That was as far as Tommy had gotten when he got up to leave and now Severus had to figure out what to do with him. Leaving him there obviously wasn't an option, the draft would be intolerable, but it wasn't like there was anywhere in his quarters for a man of Tommy's size. He had no guest bedroom and the sofa was more of a loveseat and far to short for a man of his height. At the same time he wasn't sure of his own ability to levitate the unconscious man up two flights of stairs given his own, partially inebriated state.

With a sigh Severus contemplated the worn soles of the running shoes decorating his carpet. The idea of leaving him there was unfathomable, but what to do with him? For a moment he considered calling a house elf to move the man to his own quarters, but just as quickly nixed the idea. Inviting a house elf into his domain would be disastrous. He'd finally trained them to leave his quarters, lab and office alone; it would hardly do to encourage the little buggers now.

Before he could come up with a solution the section of the wall concealing the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room opened. Panicked that it would be a student, though that would be like suicide for the student dumb enough to be leaving his common room well past curfew, Severus cast about for his wand intent on casting a Disillusionment spell on the prone man before him. Just as he found it and began the incantation he noticed that the person who had come through was not a student but rather a fellow teacher. The very teacher, in fact, who was partly responsible, in a roundabout way, for the mess he currently found himself in. Just was he was about to ask for her aid Kim noticed the dark haired man sprawled half in the hallway.

"What the?" She started and then the identity of the man she was seeing registered. "Tommy?!" Animosity momentarily forgotten she darted forward and dropped to her knees beside him, quickly glancing down his body for injuries. As she did so she noticed the Potions Master behind him and leveled a fierce glare at him. "What the hell happened here Severus?" To be honest she wouldn't put it past the man to have hexed Tommy, no matter how friendly the two had seemed to be. Severus was not the most friendly of men; she ought to know having spent a lot of time in his presence over the last few years.

"He passed out on his way back to his own quarters."

Kimberly was about to make an issue of it, something along the lines of perfectly healthy men just don't randomly pass out, but then she noticed the acrid smell of alcohol coming off the man beside her. "You were drinking." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I introduced him to FireWhiskey. His tolerance level amazes me. Most muggles get trashed with just a shot, maybe two, but he managed five before it began to faze him. Drinks like a seasoned pro he does. Quite intriguing."

"Its probably because of our . . ." she broke off, horrified to realize that she'd nearly revealed their secret.

Severus proved that he was not all that dimwitted even after half a bottle of FireWhiskey, probably because of the copious quantities of it he had consumed in his past. "Because of your what?" He asked. FireWhiskey might not affect his intelligence but it did suppress his Slytherin cunning and bring forth his brash bold Gryffindor, the part he'd deny till his last breath if he were asked about it.

"Our shared past." Kim managed finally. "We spent a lot of time drinking in high school," she decided on an outright lie, "all of us have high tolerance levels," mixed with a bit of the truth. The safe bit of the truth, that their tolerance levels were all improved because of the connection to Morphin' Grid, not the nasty, terrible secret revealing part of the truth that included the reason behind the increased tolerance levels.

If Severus suspected any part of that for the lie it was he didn't show it. Rather his impaired Slytherin mind was busy, albeit more slowly than normal, cataloguing Kim's behavior since she had noticed Tommy. Even now, while she was talking to him, most of her attention was on Tommy, as were, he noticed with a hidden smirk, her hands. Gently skimming up and down his back, occasionally brushing into his hair or across the part of his face she could reach it almost seemed to him as if Kim had no idea what she was doing. Most curious.

"Perhaps you could help me Ms. Hart. Having imbibed a significant quantity of FireWhiskey myself I have no wish to see the results of levitation spell up two flights of stairs. Could you perhaps do the honors and assist me in getting Mr. Oliver to his rooms?"

"Why not call a house-elf?" Kim asked, suddenly suspicious. Severus was a Slytherin after all and they rarely did anything for purely altruistic motives.

"And invite the nasty little things in to the quarters they are expressly forbidden to enter? Not bloody likely. I spent years getting them to stay away, I'm not likely to compromise that now."

Kim giggled. The Potions Masters hatred for house elves in his personal quarters, lab and office was legendary. And it was whispered amongst the staff that if he could clean his classroom half as efficiently as they could then he'd have banned them from there was well. As it was he took every opportunity, namely every detention, to bar them from the classroom as well. "God forbid," she said, pulling her wand out of the pocket of her jeans. Standing she pointed the slender piece of wood at Tommy. "Levi corpus" she muttered, watching as his body rose to hover at waist height. Turning she made her way down the hallway, carefully monitoring the spell keeping Tommy afloat.

"So, how do you know Mr. Oliver?" Though he now knew a great deal more of her history with Tommy than he really wanted to know, Severus had an idea and to make it work he needed information from both parties. This would be the hard part though, there was no love lost between himself and Kim.

The smooth baritone surprised Kim, she hadn't realized Severus had followed, and her hand wobbled, following the motion of her hand Tommy also wobbled in midair and spotting this Kim hastily firmed her grip.

"And why do you wish to know Severus? I didn't think you were particularly concerned with the lives of your fellow staff members."

"Ordinarily I am not. But I will admit that I enjoy Mr. Oliver's company and since you can obviously claim an acquaintance with him I was simply curious as to how that came about."

Kimberly took so long to consider her reply that they were nearly to Tommy's quarters before she gave her answer. An answer that was much more honest that Sever was expecting. "We dated in high school. Then I broke his heart. I haven't seen him in over a decade. I don't know that we could even qualify as acquaintances anymore since he probably hates me, and with good reason."

"Why would you assume that he hates you?"

"Because I wrote him a Dear John letter. Because I was too much of a coward to break up with him in person. Because he's not said more than a few words to me all year and those few words were after I accused him of unfairly giving my son detention. And then there's my sons. He has to be suspicious about the boys."

"Does he have reason to be? Are they his?"


	11. Pain and Steel

A.n: Over 100 reviews? I'm pretty sure thats the first time I've ever had a story get that many reviews. I'm a little syked about that. And as a treat, another chapter. I was originally going to have the long awaited confrontation in this chapter, but I'm still working out some kinks on that, so its the next one instead. My bad, but I promise its in the next one, unless a character has a a major emergency I have no choice but to put it next, you'll see why. Anyway, thanks ever so much for the reviews. I love each and every one of you, and each and every one of them!

Last time:

"Does he have reason to be? Are they his?"

And Now:

Kim eyed Severus with speculation. "I don't see how that is any of your business Severus. And given that he doesn't know, why would I tell you one way or the other. Don't you think I ought to tell him before I tell you, doesn't he deserve at least that much?"

Severus bent his head in agreement. "Fair enough." He looked at the portrait in front of them, the one that guarded the entrance to Tommy's quarters and had to stop and think about the password. Hoping that it had not yet been changed from the one that had been set for him prior to his arrival he spoke, "once and always." He noticed that Kim seemed to choke a bit at the password and wondering what that was about he focused on pulling the portrait wide enough to admit Kim and her unconscious burden.

Kim managed, through sheer obstinacy, to avoid looking around the rooms in curiosity as she guided Tommy's prone body to the door she assumed was his bedroom. Settling him onto the blankets she cancelled the levitation spell and then turned to leave. At the doorway she stopped and looked back. Something about his body stretched out on the bed still clad in jeans, sneakers and a hoodie made her shake her head and pulling out her wand again she quickly pulled the covers over him, banished his cloths and transfigured him a pair of pajama bottoms. The banished clothes settled into the hamper were they would be taken care of by the house elves and his sneakers settled neatly onto the floor next to his dress shoes, running shoes and boots. Suppressing the urge to poke around his bedroom she cut the lights and shut the door.

"Is this you in high school?" Severus apparently did not have the same morals against snooping that she did and had found several photo frames on the mantel. The one he was examining had obviously been pulled from the very back, that was the only hole, but the fact that it was there at all gave Kim an odd feeling in her stomach. Walking over she was surprised to see that it was in fact a photo from high school, in fact it had been taken at the Spring Dance, the first real date she and Tommy had ever gone on.

"Yes," was all she was able to say in response, but apparently it was enough for Severus as he went back to studying the photo. She wasn't sure what it was he found so fascinating about it, but since her attention had been drawn to the other photos on the mantel she was not going to inquire.

There were standard photos that she recognized of his parents, his college graduation, though there was more then one of those making her wonder how many degrees he held since he was progressively older and more adorned in each of them. But there were also what looked like team photos, but they weren't of any team she recognized. Four of the other people in those photos were rather young, and the other, a vivacious redhead, looked to be about her own age. There were several photos of this particular group, though the one of them in what looked like a teen hangout of some sort held her attention the longest because of the emotions on all of their faces; they were smiling, but there was a darkness in their eyes, a shadow behind the joy, that made her wonder just when this photo had been taken.

The team photos could hold her attention for only so long however, and it wasn't long before she started to examine the other pictures. There were plenty more pictures of people that she didn't recognize, but she found none of the ones she expected to find. There were few photos of 'their' group, and the ones that were there were so dated that it was evident that they had been taken in high school or immediately after. She had thought that Tommy would have still been in touch with the old group, but if this collection was anything to go by that was far from true. It appeared he had had as much contact with them over the years as she had.

Then, in the middle of the mantel, she came across the photo that made her pause. There were only two people in it, Tommy and a woman she didn't know, and it was obvious that they didn't know the photo was being taken, as they were looking at each other rather then the camera. The woman was seated on his lap, her arms around his neck and on her left hand was a ring. Kim couldn't make out much detail on the ring, but it was obvious what it was: a diamond engagement ring. She was stunned to feel the jealousy come roaring through her. She knew she still loved him, she'd always been honest with herself on this point, but she thought she'd come to grips with the fact that it was almost certain she was not the only woman in his life, that there had been others who had taken her place. But now, to see the proof of it, apparently she wasn't as prepared for it as she had always thought she was.

Curious as well as jealous she tilted her head a bit and examined the woman in the photo more closely. It was a standard muggle photo so there was not movement or laughter or conversation to give her an idea of what the woman's personality was like but nevertheless Kim was able to see part of why Tommy had been attracted to her. She wasn't beautiful, not in a classic way, though she was by no means plain either. Her hair was black, the lighting in the photo made it look almost blue in places, and long. Her eyes, well the eye Kim could see, was a bright blue and looked mischievous, and happy. There was just something about her, even in an image on a piece of paper, that made her seem beautiful, something internal that shone through.

She was started from her perusal by a light touch on the shoulder. Turning her head she met the black eyes of the Potions Master who had apparently been watching her for some time. "We should go," he said quietly. "It's getting late."

"Of course." With a last look at the photo Kim followed Severus out the door.

PRHPPRHPPRHPPRHP

Tommy woke the next morning with a splitting headache and absolutely no idea how he'd gotten back to his room, or into pajamas. The last part especially was a mystery since he rarely wore anything more than boxers to bed, if that. He'd willingly admit to being a bit of a sensualist and he thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of silk sheets against bare skin. But this morning he was wearing pajama pants, pants that he discovered, when he'd finally moved his head enough to see, were not a pair he remembered owning. After all he was pretty sure he'd remember buying green pajama pants covered in fluttering golden Snitches.

Supporting his aching head with one hand, Tommy used the other to carefully maneuver himself into a sitting position. Ruefully he decided that it might not have been such a clever idea to use magical alcohol to get drunk, apparently it packed a punch that even his ties to the Morphin' Grid couldn't take care of. He'd gotten drunk several times before, but he'd never had a hangover before, and he wasn't really enjoying the experience so far either. Looking over he realized that there was a vial of a vile looking substance sitting on the nightstand beside the bed and a scrap of parchment. Reading the note he chuckled, then groaned as the affects of the chuckle hit his pounding head. Lifting the vial he pulled the cork out and tipped it back, swallowing it all in one nasty, burning gulp. With a shudder of disgust he sat back and waited for it to take affect, according to the note from Severus it shouldn't take to long.

Not much later he was feeling noticeably better, and after looking at the clock and seeing that it was close to lunch time, decided that it would be a good idea to take a shower before getting some food into his system. With luck it would help sop up whatever alcohol remained, and even if it didn't, at least he'd have eaten. As he went through his routine he couldn't help but puzzle over the mystery before him. Severus' note had been short and to the point, it told him what the vial was. It didn't answer any of the many questions he had, like how he'd gotten to his room, how Severus had gotten in, how he'd ended up in pajamas, the questions went on and on. Finally he was ready with a quick glance around the living room he was off to the Great Hall for some nourishment.

PRHPPRHPPRHPPRHP

Kim paced her room nervously, glancing at the clock every now and again and wondering if she dared skip two meals in the same day. McGonagall didn't really care if the staff showed up at meals on the weekend, but she did tend to keep track and pester you if you missed to many meals. And then there were the boys. Missing breakfast was one thing, they knew she loved to sleep in, but if she missed lunch as well they would likely come beating the door down demanding to know if she was okay. She was pretty sure she couldn't deal with their questions right now, not while she was trying to figure out what she was going to say.

After her conversation last night with Severus, and the subsequent viewing of the photos on Tommy's mantel, several things had become quite clear, not the least of which was the fact that she owed Tommy the truth. She had to tell him everything, from the reality behind the letter, which to be honest she was surprised he had yet mentioned, to the truth behind the boys. It all had to come out, the only question remaining was how.

Finally she gathered her courage and headed out to the Great Hall, it had to be done, and the best time was now. She'd figure out what to say as she went along. Some of their best plans as Rangers had been rather spur of the moment and she was hoping that this battle would be no different.

Entering the Hall she nodded at the boys as she passed them sitting together at the Ravenclaw table. She briefly contemplated stopping to ask what mischief they were up to, for it was rather obvious that they were plotting as they kept their heads together even while grinning in greeting, but then decided it wasn't worth the energy. She'd find out with the rest of the school no doubt, and this way she could enjoy whatever it was without the need to punish them unless they were dumb enough to get caught. When she got to the head table she noticed Tommy sitting at the end by Severus, and noticed that there was an empty chair on Severus's other side. Deciding that was as good a place as any to sit, better actually since the other open seat was next to Septimus Vector and he would no doubt take advantage of the opportunity to ask her out, again, she headed that way.

Stopping behind Tommy's chair she put one hand on his shoulder, and then had to pray that the quiver of excitement she felt at such a small action wasn't obvious to either him or the sharp eyed Potions Master. "After lunch, may I come by your rooms? I think that its time we talked."


	12. Truths

Tommy of course acquiesced to Kim's request to talk, he could hardly do otherwise when it was something he wanted as well, and so after the meal they could be seen slowly walking back to his rooms with an expectant silence hovering between them. When they got to the portrait guarding the door Tommy gave the password, and watched as Kim flinched, not a lot, a casual observer might not have seen it, but casual was one word that could never have been used to describe the relationship between Kim and Tommy and even with all the history between them he found himself watching her with the same intensity as a teenager with his first major crush. He added his observations about her reaction to his password to the end of the long list of questions stewing in his mind and gestured for her to take a seat on the surprisingly comfortable sofa that had been in the rooms when he moved in. Taking a seat himself on the opposite end of the couch he waited for her to speak. After what seemed like an eternity her voice broke the uncomfortable silence that had filled the room.

"I don't really know where we should start. What do I answer first? What do I explain? I never expected this to happen. I never thought I'd ever see anyone again, I never thought any of them would want to see me after I . . . after everything that happened. And now that it has, now that you're here and we have to work together and you want to talk, I don't know what to say."

"How about at the beginning. How did you get into this world in the first place? Did you always know you had magic? Or is that even the true beginning?"

"No, it is. I guess that's where it all started. I always knew that I was different. Sometimes things would happen, especially when I got mad, or sad, things that I couldn't really explain. It got better after we got our powers, the incidents pretty much stopped, but still I knew that I was different. Then one day I was in the park, you were at the Youth Center with the guys so I was there by myself, and I got mad, and something happened . . ." Here she stopped, not sure how to tell him what had happened next since he was sure to react irrationally.

"What happened?" Tommy pressed gently after she'd been silent for a few minutes. He could tell by the look in her eyes that it was nothing good but he had to know.

"The first thing you should know is that accidental magic, magic that's not consciously called, generally happens as a result of extreme emotion, anger, fear and sometimes joy. In children it's more frequent as doesn't need that trigger of strong emotion, but in a teenager and adult, someone with more control over themselves it takes a more extreme feeling to call it forth. Since I didn't know that I had magic, what I did that day was accidental magic, very strong accidental magic.

I had been sitting by the lake, meditating after going through a workout, when I felt someone sit down next to me. At first I thought it was you, but then I realized that the person didn't feel like you."

"Feel like me?" Tommy interrupted, "what do you mean he didn't feel like me?"

"That was another gift I didn't know I had at the time. I thought I was just sensitive to things around me, I always knew who was nearby. Now I know that I can read auras, that's what I was sensing, the individual auras of the people around me. Everyone has one, even muggles, and once I've spent some time with a person I have no problems distinguishing their aura from those of the people around them."

"I see. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's okay, I'm sure you're going to be confused about some of what I'm telling you, I'll try to explain it all, but if you have a question you can ask."

"I'll try to hold them till the end, but I'll keep in mind the _carte blanche_ to interrupt." Tommy sent her a teasing grin before settling back and waiting for her to continue.

"Anyway, so this guy sat down beside me and once I realized that it wasn't you, and that it wasn't anyone I recognized right away by feel I looked over to see who it was. You remember Richie McDonald?"

"That obnoxious pasty kid that was following you around a lot right before you left?"

"That's the one. Anyway, it was him sitting there, calm as you please, like he had every right to be sitting practically on top of me when he knew how I felt about him and his little crush. I decided to just ignore him and go back to my meditation, even though I was really uncomfortable having him in such close proximity without you or Rocky or one of the other guys, or even Skull around. A couple of minutes later I really regretted that decision.

Just as I was starting to really focus, as I was sinking deeper into that welcome place of nothing that mediation can bring you to, I felt something on my knee. Then, before I could react, I was pinned to the ground and when I opened my eyes I saw Richie. He was right there in my face, pinning me to the ground. He was big, bigger than me anyway, and even though I tried I couldn't throw him off of me, he had me pretty much locked to the ground." She looked up, at Tommy's face, and the flash of green she saw in his eyes confused the hell out of her. Swallowing hard she continued her story.

"After fighting with him for a couple of minutes, trying to get free, I realized that he was talking to me, probably had been for a while. He was telling me that it wasn't right that I wouldn't even talk to him, that we were meant to be together, that you were in the way, that he would make it so nobody else would ever want to be with me. All sorts of crazy talk, but it was what he was doing that scared me more, he was obviously trying to take my cloths off. Right there, in broad daylight, in the middle of Angel Grove Park he was trying to take my cloths off. I got scared, terrified really, and the next thing I knew there was this huge bright light coming from me and it tossed Richie 20ft backwards into a tree. I didn't stick around to find out what had happened to him, I ran straight home." She paused to take a deep breath and was startled when Tommy stood and started pacing the room. Looking over at him it was easy to see the anger coursing through his body, it was portrayed in every tense muscle, in the fisted hands, the clenched jaw, and the stalking stride that took him around the room several times before he turned back towards her.

"What I don't get" he started in a voice like chipped granite, hard and rough, "is why am I just now finding out NOW that some CREEP had his hands all over MY girlfriend?" If it had been obvious enough that he was royally pissed off, the fact that he had started shouting at various points in that sentence was certainly indicative. Kim found herself pressing back into the couch, for while she knew intellectually that he would never hurt her, his anger was hard to face. Especially since she wasn't sure exactly who that anger was aimed at, herself for not telling him before this, or Richie for putting his hands on her in the first place.

"I was going too." She said quietly. "I wanted too, but I didn't know how to explain it."

Tommy snorted. "You didn't know how to say 'Tommy, that creep Richie tried to rape me in broad daylight'?"

"NO, because how the hell was I supposed to explain how I got away? It's not like my ranger powers kicked in or something. It was a totally unexplained phenomenon and I didn't want to talk about it. And then, just when I was getting ready to come talk to you about it anyway, that was when Aidan showed up."

"Aidan? Who the fuck is Aidan?"

"Aidan, Aidan Malfoy, was the man you all knew as Gunter Schmidt. He had assumed the guise of his own physical fitness instructor, a man with many contacts and a good reputation in the muggle world, in order to search for people like me, people with magical talent. See in America they never developed the same education system for young witches and wizards that exist in many other parts of the world. There, most of the time they are home schooled. Some of the communities have set up schools similar to the one-room schoolhouses of old, but most of the time parents are responsible for their child's magical education. That works for children descended from witches or wizards, but not for kids like me. At least one of my parents was almost certainly from a Squib line, people who are born of magical parents without magic themselves, and because of that they didn't know that I was magical so they couldn't make sure I got the education I needed.

Anyway, Aidan was searching America for students for his school. He is the headmaster at Merlin's Academy for Gifted Witches and Wizards. They are one of, if not the most prestigious schools for magical education in the world. The school was founded by Merlin himself and has maintained the same high standards since his time. They take none but the best and they choose those students themselves, they do not allow others to dictate to them who they shall take. I know Aidan was quite interested in having Harry leave Hogwarts and finish his education there but Headmaster Dumbledore was adamantly against the idea and persuaded Harry it would be in his best interests to stay here. Foolishness in my opinion, but then as a graduate of Merlin I might just be a bit biased myself.

Aidan knew what was "wrong" with me; he knew why the strange things happened around me, he knew why Richie went flying. He could explain everything to me and he could show me how to make all these things happen in a controlled fashion. I was entranced, it all looked so simple, so easy. When he offered me a place in his school I said yes immediately, but of course then I had to explain it to you guys. After all, I would be in Italy for the next several years at a secret school learning about a skill you guys had no knowledge of and I needed a believable excuse. Aidan's borrowed persona gave us the idea. He would approach me in front of you guys and recruit me for a gymnastics school. It was, after all, my third passion, right behind you and being a ranger. And you all, being good friends, would support my pursuing that dream. So we did it and it worked and I was free to go. I did fly to Florida that day you all put me on the plane, but from there I boarded a flight to Venice." She stopped again and looked over.

"I didn't really want to basically lie to you guys, but I didn't really have much of a choice. Just as there were rules to being a ranger, there are laws that govern the magical world including the secrecy laws. People fear that which they do not understand, and that which they fear they seek to either control or eliminate. Every time knowledge of magic has become widespread in the muggle world innocent people die, so we seek to control that flow of knowledge. I'm still not even sure why Minerva took that the chance to tell you, you are fantastic at what you do, but I'm sure she could have found someone nearly as talented who already knew. She didn't have to break the Statute to hire a PE teacher."

"The statute?"

"The Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. It was signed in 1692 by every major Wizarding government. Basically it says that we cannot reveal the magical world to muggles without just cause and assurance that the secret will be kept. The ICW helps to ensure that it is maintained, though much of the day to day work is done by Aurors."

"The who and by whom?"

"ICW is the International Confederation of Wizards and Aurors are the magical version of police. Anyway, back to my story since we are currently horribly off track. I spent the next seven years in Italy, just outside of Nuoro, which is on the island of Sardinia. The town that Merlin is in actually reminds me quite a bit of Hogsmeade, it is a quaint little Italian town and mostly Wizarding folk though there are a few Squib lines living in the area as well. I quite enjoyed my time at school. I fit in totally for the first time in my life, I was learning about this strange power of mine and I got to continue my gymnastics. Life was pretty much perfect, except one thing. You and I, well, we were growing apart. I had a cell phone, but given that we were half a world apart, both in school and trying to keep secrets, at least I was, it was just too hard. So I sent you that damn letter. I didn't mean it, any of it except for the part where I said I didn't want to hurt you. Because believe it or not I didn't, I still don't. And really that's part of why I sent that letter, I figured it was just easier to break it off rather then have our relationship drag out and possibly end up hurting both of us more in the end. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. Harder even then getting on that plane knowing while I did so that I would be lying to you guys for the next seven years. I ripped my own heart out the day I sent you that letter, and I'm still not sure I've gotten it back."

Tommy started to say something, to react to getting some part of the truth about the most horrible day of his life, but before for he could think of anything to say Kimberly had continued.

"After I graduated from Merlin I traveled for a while. I didn't really want to go back to the muggle world, and I wasn't really qualified to do anything there anyway, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do so I traveled, took odd jobs to pay the bills and learned about life. I met Ryan Matthews in Prague. He and his sons had moved there after his wife was killed in a hit and run accident. I stayed with them for a while and when Ry found out that he was dying, he chose to come to me for help. His family are not the type of people that you would ever want raising a child, how he survived I don't know, but they stood to gain custody of his sons when he died unless a replacement was found. Kelly, his wife, didn't have any family so there was no one there to take the boys and he was desperate. So we decided that I would adopt them, and when he died I would take them in and raise them as my own. We did a blood adoption; it's the most secure form of adoption available. Kason and Kaden share my blood now; they are my sons in every way but one. I did not give birth to them, but they are mine."


	13. Reactions and an Argument

AN: Sorry this took so long. I work two jobs, take two graduate classes and bowl in a league, my time is not my own.

I still don't own any of it that you may recognize.

Chapter 13: Reactions and an Argument

Tommy sat in dumbfounded silence after Kim dropped her bombshell. Of all the myriad of possibilities he had considered adoption had been nowhere near the realm of a possibility. Though that could be because he'd never even heard of a blood adoption before today. The very idea that such a thing was possible filled him with conflicting emotions. Deciding to think on that aspect of it later Tommy turned his attention to the rather surprising fact that Kasen and Kaden weren't actually Kim's in the way that he'd thought. Which meant that she hadn't betrayed him in any way. Despite the fact that he felt this knowledge shouldn't really affect him it did. No matter what his mind tried to tell his heart he was almost savagely glad to hear that she hadn't betrayed him by bearing another man's children. The, for a lack of a better word, joy that filled him at the thought was a bit disturbing actually. His mind had been convinced, or had fooled itself into being convinced, that he didn't care about her, that her letter had destroyed any ability of his to care for and about her, but apparently he'd been wrong.

Finally he decided to ask one of the more minor questions he had, still not sure how to phrase the bigger ones, and not sure how he felt about this part of it in any case. "Why do they call you mom?"

She paused, obviously not expecting that question given everything she'd told him. "I have no idea. I didn't tell them they had too. They just started doing it. But then they didn't really know their birth mother, she died when they were just a year old, so maybe that's why."

"But you just let them?"

"Uhh, yeah. What the hell was I supposed to do? Tell them that they can't call the only mother they've ever had mom?"

"But its not like they're your kids. I mean, when you do have your own, won't they be confused?"

Kim stared at Tommy like he'd lost his mind. "Of course they're my kids. Are you any less your parents child because you're adopted?"

"That's . . ." he trailed off at the anger flaring in her eyes.

"That's what Tommy? That's different? How? One might argue that they are more my kids then you're your parents. After all if a test is done on my boys it will show that they share my blood. Can the same be said of you?" Standing she stormed towards the portrait hole. "You know, you never used to be so close minded. I'm not sure what happened but I'm pretty sure I don't like it. The man I used to know was a man I liked, admired, and once even loved. Sadly I don't really think that I can still say any of that. Do me a favor and stay away from my kids and me until you can pull your head out of your ass and stop acting like such a child about this. I can still read you, you know. You were so excited to hear that I didn't fuck another man and have his kids but you know what, if I wanted to I could. We broke up remember? You sure as hell didn't seem to mind at the time, so I fail to see why you're getting all jealous now. You lost that right when you didn't so much as send a letter back asking if we could discuss it. If you had we might have gotten back together because I regretted that letter the minute I sent it but I was not going to chase you after dumping you, the ball was in your court and you dropped it." With those parting words she slammed her way out of his quarters and stomped back to her own muttering disparaging words about men under her breath the entire way.

Back in his quarters Tommy was still staring at the door in confusion. He was sure he'd screwed up; he usually did when he spoke without thinking, but his mind was in such a muddle he wasn't entirely sure where it was that he'd gone wrong. Knowing that going after her now would do nothing more than anger her further he turned his attention to sorting out the muddle his thoughts were currently in. He'd had a lot of information dumped on him, much of which he didn't even begin to understand, and he knew he'd be busy with that for a while. Understanding that he'd get further on settling the information if he quit actively thinking about it he turned his attention to the puzzle he'd promised Harry he'd help him sort out.

PRHP PRHP PRHPPRHPPRHP

Severus kept his sigh of aggravation well contained as for the 21st meal in a row he watched the tension between the Muggle Studies teacher and the PE teacher rise to ever greater heights. The miracle was that he and the young Matthews boys seemed to be the only ones who'd noticed the tension. After all, it made the atmosphere so thick that a brick wall could probably be built out of the air.

Rolling his eyes ever so slightly as he watched Kim twist a bit so that she couldn't see even a bit of Tommy he wondered for what felt like the millionth time what had happened there. They hadn't been exactly friendly before but now there was what felt like near hatred between them, at least on Kim's part. He got the impression that Tommy was more confused and preoccupied then angry, but figured that the man could be hiding it exceptionally well. Or he really was confused by why Kim was angry. Severus may have spend most of his adult life within the stone walls of Hogwarts but he was still well aware that men rarely understood what was wrong with the women in their lives unless it was told to them in small words at loud volumes.

Eventually he resolved, as he did every meal, to not get in the middle of this whatever it was. If either of them chose to come to him then he'd do his best to help them, but until then he was not involved and he chose to stay that way. It was, after all, part of the reason he avoided relationships. He hated the nasty problems, like fights, that came with them. Well that and he'd yet to find a woman who would put up with him, his evil temper, snarky moods, and incessant potion making.

PRHPPRHPPRHPPRHPPRHP

Kim was still in a fairly foul mood when she ran into Septimus Vector nearly two weeks after her confrontation with Tommy. The fact that he hadn't even tried to apologize for what he'd said about her boys was really pissing her off. Knowing full well that she was in a mood most foul she had kept to her quarters most of the time, except for when she was teaching or eating dinner in the Great Hall. Not watching where she was going to carefully she literally ran into Septimus and watched in dismay as he dropped his stack of books and her armload of parchment scrolls flew everywhere.

"I am so sorry Septimus," she cried, kneeling to gather his books. "I should have been paying better attention to where I was going." Picking up a book that had landed open faced and now sporting several scrunched pages she winced. "I'll pay if anything is damaged beyond repair, I know you often have several very rare books in your possession."

"Nonsense Kimberly," Septimus retorted in his deep bass that seemed so out of place coming from the lean body in front of her. "I would hardly carry my rarest books out into the hallway where I might be run over by charmingly beautiful women."

Kim blushed and handed him the stack of books she had collected. "Well in that case I take back my offer," she said lightly. "I'm sure you'll be able to repair the damage quite easily."

"Not so fast ma'am. You did run me over after all. I think you owe me something. Dinner? Tonight?" He held his breath hoping she would say yes, ever since the pretty Muggle Studies teacher had joined the staff he had been trying to get her to go out with him, and she had turned him down every time but he was still hopeful. It's amazing what a schoolboy like crush can do to a person's optimism.

Kim gave him an appraising look and then decided to go for it. After all it wasn't like she was tied to anyone else and at the very least she would get some amiable company for a meal even if it turned out that they wouldn't suit, as she rather suspected they wouldn't. "Certainly. Shall I meet you in the Entrance Hall at 7?"

"Sounds perfect. I look forward to it." Sweeping his wand quickly to gather the scattered scrolls, Septimus handed them to her and then hurried off before she could change her mind.

Kim continued down the hall with her mind slightly less muddled. Even the mere prospect of getting out of the castle for a bit was enough to clear out some of the millions of thoughts racing through her mind,

PRHPPRHPPRHPPRHPPHRP

Tommy sat back with a heavy sigh and ran his hands through already severely tousled hair. As he did so he made a mental note that he needed to get it cut again, the spikes he had started the year with had grown out significantly, and then promptly forgot in favor of the baffling and disturbing evidence before him. So far as he was able to ascertain, someone was deliberately hoodwinking Harry about far more then just his position in society. From what he had been able to dig up the boy was the heir to a sizeable fortune, and yet according to that same boy he had nothing more then a small vault which was being now at only about a quarter of its original contents due to his needs over the past 7 years. Additionally, when he had petitioned the Gringotts goblins for a copy of the will of the late Potters on behalf of their son he had been informed that access to that will had been denied to all but the Heir himself. It was a grim picture he was drawing; the problem was finding the culprit.

He had already told the boy some of what he had found, and to say Harry was upset would have been an understatement. By the time Harry was finished shouting Tommy had understood quite clearly what Harry had meant when he'd said he needed help in controlling his magic, it had taken the house elves nearly 4 hours to put his office back together and repair the cracks in the stone walls.

Acknowledging that he had done all his limited knowledge of this World and lack of magic would allow him to do he steeled himself to ask for the help of the acerbic Potions Master who had somehow become a good friend. He knew very well however that the tall man did not feel particularly kindly towards the young Potter boy, though he also had no idea why this was the case since everything he'd seen led him to believe that the boy would be a teachers dream. He was polite, hardworking, intelligent, a class leader and yet not a know it all. Shaking his head he prepared to argue his friend into helping him to assist this boy in gaining what had been taken from him.

Heading down the stairs towards the Entrance Hall and the flight of stairs that led to the dungeon, otherwise known as Severus' private domain, Tommy was surprised to see Kim standing in the hall talking to her sons. That part didn't surprise him nearly as much as what she was wearing. He hadn't seen her out of teaching robes the whole time he'd been here and was absolutely floored to see her in a knee length black dress, heels and jewelry with makeup, not at all what one would normally wear to dinner in the Great Hall which would be starting soon.

Before the significance of her clothes can fully sink in Septimus Vector steps into the Entrance Hall from the Great Hall and it becomes immediately apparent what is going on. He is wearing a pair of plain black slacks and a silk shirt in a hazy blue color with a black sports coat and is carrying a single white rose. As Tommy watches in disbelief he walks to Kim, hands her the rose and then they walk out of the castle together chatting quietly.

Forgetting why he had come down the stairs Tommy retreats back upstairs with his mind reeling. The jealousy roiling in his gut adds to the mass of confusing emotions he was already filled with and he knows that he has to act quickly. Somehow he has to figure himself out if he is to have even the slightest chance of getting Kim back if that's what he decides he wants. Leaning against the mantel he picks up the photo in the middle and stares at the woman in it. "What am I supposed to do Jen? How do I make it right?"


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I quite sadly do not own the Power Rangers or Harry Potter or anything you see that looks like it might belong to either one of those.

AN: Sorry its been so long! see bottom for a longer note

Chapter 14:

Kim returned to the castle after her date with Septimus feeling rather drained. As nice a man as he was, and he was very nice, very kind, very considerate, he didn't ring any of her bells so to speak. A fact he seemed to be aware of after their date. Dinner had been very enjoyable, but there had been no spark between them. Septimus had tried for a goodnight kiss and she had allowed it, it had been ages since she had been held that way, since she had enjoyed the feeling of a mans lips on her own, but the kiss had been rather insipid. When Septimus had stepped away she could see in his eyes the knowledge that this would be their only date. "I'm sorry," she started, "I like you, I do, but just as friends. I don't want this try to ruin our friendship though, I really do enjoy spending time with you."

"It's okay, I understand. I didn't feel anything either. Regrettably, because I think that you are an amazing woman but I know when a situation is hopeless." He had smiled at her. "I would like to be friends though."

Entering her quarters she missed the dark shadow leaning against the wall further up the hall that breathed a deep sigh of relief as she went into her room unaccompanied. Pulling the pins out of her hair she breathed a deep sigh of relief as she massaged a scalp that ached from holding up the weight of her hair via bobby pins for several hours. Heading for the bathroom off of her bedroom she was annoyed to realize that her thoughts had moved to contemplating other dates, dates in particular with a certain former White Ranger. "No," she said, annoyed, "I'm not going to think about him."

RAH RAH RAH RAH

Tommy pushed away from the wall after watching Kim enter her room by herself. He was unaccountably relieved to see that she had come back from her date by herself. He had spent a couple of hours in his office after she left but then he had been to restless to sit and think of the issues involving Harry Potter, so he'd found himself wandering the halls until he looked up and realized he was in the corridor outside of Kim's room. Before he could turn around and walk away he heard the distinctive clip-clop of high heel shoes on stone and had pushed himself into a dark portion of the wall instead. His hand clenched into a fist as the thought crossed his mind that she might not be alone. She had gone out on a date after all, and not everyone comes home from a date alone. She sure hadn't when they had been going out together, at least not all the time. And, loathe as he was to admit it, she was a grown woman and the odds that she had spend that time completely without masculine companionship were way to low to really be contemplated. That didn't mean it made him happy though, not that he was willing to think about the whys involved with that particular feeling. Nor was he particularly willing to admit to feeling relief that she had entered her rooms alone. Kim wasn't his anymore, through the actions of them both, which he could finally admit, and so he had no reason to be relieved she was not with another man.

As he wandered off down the hall though a small portion in the back of his mind admitted that he really was glad she was alone. And that same part was starting to plot how to make sure that he never had to worry about that again. Maybe it was time for the White Ranger to make a play for his princess again.

AN: Wow, so its kind of been awhile. Sorry! Life got crazy and I sort of forgot this story for a while. I've been doing a lot of work on some original stories and shopping them around and all. I have not abandoned this, not now that I've remembered it at any rate! I will finish it, but it will probably be a slow finish as I'll use this to keep my mind active when I hit a stumble point on my original stuff. Hope you guys are still reading and I'll try to get the next chapter out to you in the next week or so!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Moving Forward

The next few days after Kim's date with Septimus Vector passed quietly. Tommy was relieved; though he'd be loathe to admit it, to note that Kim and Septimus treated each other as they ever had. He'd have been even more relieved if he'd noted that the glint of interest in Septimus' eye was gone, but he was never close enough to see that. He would have to settle for being relieved that it did not appear that their date had led to a furthering of their relationship, at least not in the public view. With that bit of relief his mind was busy turning over plans to help young Harry with his inheritance struggle.

Tommy had finally gotten a chance to speak to Severus who, despite his apparent dislike for the boy, was nevertheless horrified to learn he had been treated thusly. Severus, it turns out, was a veritable wealth of information about Wizarding World nobility since, to Tommy's shock, he belonged to one of its houses. Tommy had not put the House of Prince together with the snarky Potions Master but Severus assured him that, while a half-blood, he was nevertheless Lord Prince, an Earl in his own right now that his grandfather had passed away. He promised to help Tommy weave his way through the morass of political strings to find out who had so grievously neglected that portion of the 'insufferable brats' education, since Harry was far more likely to believe and trust Severus if Tommy was present instead of Tommy being able to turn it over to Severus entirely.

A few days later Severus let Tommy know he had made some progress and that the two of them should meet with Harry. Tommy had tried to back out but Severus insisted that he be present. Tommy, after some thought, admitted the truth of this given the history between the two and even went so far as to offer his office as a neutral meeting ground. That's how an anxious Harry found himself in Tommy's office meeting with his surprisingly cool PE teacher and his formidable Potions professor.

The meeting began with a lot of silence that had Tommy wishing he had gotten the creepy elf people too bring up a tea service. Where did a name like house-elves come from any way? Where there other forms of elves like garden-elves and stable-elves and things like that? He mused absently. However, he had noticed these people did much better with tea in front of them and resolved to make sure to have it in the future. He wasn't used to thinking of things like that since Americans didn't really have that problem, at least not the Americans he was used to dealing with. Just as he was about to start digging around for the ignored directions on summoning one of the house-elf people things Harry broke the strained silence.

"So, I'm assuming you were asked to help with this … umm … situation. Thank you for that, I know I'm not your favorite person."

Severus inclined his head. "You may not be my 'favorite person' as you put it. But I will not sit by idly while an injustice is committed against a Great and Noble House, particularly not one of the Ancient Houses. You have my promise that the House of Prince will aid the House of Potter in this matter and set aside, at least for the moment, all of the bad blood between us." He finished his statement with a sort of formal intonation that made both Tommy and Harry think that there was something more to what he was saying then just a promise to help. This was confirmed when Severus prompted a response from Harry. "If you want my help then you are going to have to acknowledge that for Magic." He handed Harry a piece of paper.

Harry looked at the paper for a moment with a frown and then, with a shrug of his shoulders decided he had little to lose and much to gain. "The House of Potter gratefully accepts the aid of the House of Prince and promises to be a worthy student of the knowledge that the House of Prince will give." He finished the words on the paper and then looked up at the Potions Master. Without prompting, without knowing why but knowing it was right he added to the statement. "The House of Potter also promises to lay to rest that which lays between it and the House of Prince and to begin the relationship between the two anew."

Severus' eyes widened in shock. He had not put that onto the paper, he refused to trick the young man into forgiving him for his part in the feud that had sprung up between the two houses and, honestly, hadn't expected it even once he had completed Harry's education of his new responsibilities. He couldn't let such a generous gesture go unanswered, however. "The House of Prince will not let the House of Potter stand alone in such a matter but shall also endeavor to build anew the relationship between the two."

Tommy watched in a bit of shock as a blue glow lit the other two men in the room for a moment before appearing to settle into their skins. He was no expert but he thought that Harry had just pleasantly surprised Severus and that because of that something between the two had been settled. This thought received further confirmation when Severus stretched out his hand and solemnly clasped Harry's forearm, a gesture that Harry hesitantly returned. After a moment Severus released his grip on Harry's arm and settled back into his seat. "So, Mr. Potter, you know nothing about your heritage?"

Harry shook his head and then, seeing the look on Severus' face spoke his answer instead. "No sir, I didn't even know that a peerage system existed in the Wizarding World until Mr. Oliver told me so."

The look on Severus' face spoke volumes to Tommy and, he thought anyway, to Harry as well. Even though Tommy had told Severus this himself he realized the Potions Master had hoped it was not as bad as all that, more that the boy didn't know his own responsibilities, not that he knew nothing of the peerage in general. "We are going to have to fix that then, you and I." Severus finally ground out. It was obvious he was trying not to shout but even Harry could tell Severus wasn't mad at him. "I am also going to have to determine who was supposed to be your mentor and find out why they have neglected their duty. In the meantime I did begin to make some inquiries about your vaults and investments. Unfortunately, since I am not your mentor, guardian or particularly close family there is not a lot the goblins would tell me about your arrangements."

He stopped here since he could tell Harry had a question. After a gesture on his part Harry spoke hesitantly. "Particularly close family? Does that mean we are related?"

"Of a sort yes. Most of the Wizarding families, the old ones anyway, are related to one another. You and I are a bit more closely related than you and say young Master Nott, however, we are I believed fourth cousins removed a few times."

Harry's eyes lit unexpectedly. "We are family. I have family." He seemed so awed by the idea that Severus was hesitant to remind him that the familial connection was tenuous at best. If the boy was so starved for someone to call family that he was willing to take a fourth cousin then Severus would allow it. It wasn't like he had a whole lot of family himself and since the boy had so earnestly pledged to forgive and forget the feud Severus found himself willing to indulge him a bit. Perhaps he would turn out to be more like his mother.

Tommy watched as the two men fell into an earnest conversation about what little Severus had been able to glean from the goblins about Harry's financial situation. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason he felt restless. He should be feeling good that he had managed to at least begin to fix Harry's situation but he was just feeling unsettled, like he should be doing something else, something more. He wasn't really sure how much more he could do though. If Severus couldn't get information he definitely wouldn't be able too.

Shaking his head minutely he decided to focus on what he would be able to help Harry with, his martial arts training. The boy was like a sponge, soaking up whatever Tommy taught him effortlessly. If he had been one of Tommy's students back in his dojo days he would have had him test for his white belt already. Musing on this further Tommy began to explore the idea from all angles. He couldn't see a reason not to administer belt tests, and award belts, simply because he had one student. Rank was not just for the other students; it was also an important incentive for the student in question as well. Not that Harry needed more motivation but Tommy rather thought he would be proud of being able to point to his martial arts achievements as something he had done all on his own.

Having decided what to do about Harry Tommy turned his attention to another thorny problem. What to do about Kimberly? She was obviously not seeing Septimus Vector and he was finally ready to admit he was glad about that. He was glad because he didn't want her to be dating anybody but him. Before he could do that though, he was going to have to apologize for his remarks about her boys. And try to explain what he'd actually meant. He'd spoken without thinking, something he hadn't done in years, and precisely for this reason, it got him into trouble!


	16. Chapter 16

Kim walked down the halls of Hogwarts to her quarters, grateful that the day was over. Friday was always her least favorite day of the week to try and teach her students anything and this week was no exception to that rule. Tomorrow was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, which meant that the students were more focused on who was going with whom and where they would head then they were with learning about Muggle culture. She had tried to tie the lesson together with the Hogsmeade weekend and had discussed shopping malls, but she wasn't sure anyone had retained any of the information. Her 16-year-old self would have considered that sacrilege, but her older, wiser self was aware that some days you just had to count a loss.

As she got closer to her portrait hole she saw a planter sitting there. Reaching it she realized it wasn't as empty as it had first appeared, rather tiny shoots were just starting to come up through the rich, dark earth. She looked around but could see no note or anything to tell her whom the plant had come from. Nevertheless, the adobe pot painted in a very Native American way charmed her and, picking it up she spoke her password and entered her quarters. Looking around she decided to place the pot on the currently empty windowsill. Stepping back she stared at it for another moment and then turned away to go to her bedroom and change, all the while wondering who had sent the plant.

After Kim entered her quarters Tommy stepped out of his hidden alcove with a small grin on his face; his first gift had been accepted, even if she didn't know yet who had sent it. She would figure it out soon enough, as soon as it got big enough to begin to bloom. He had begged help from Pomona Sprout and she had charmed him a seedling rose that would bloom with white and pink flowers. The same kind of white and pink roses that he had given to her the last Christmas they had spent together. Heading down the hall he started to think about the next part of his plan. He had about a week before the roses would begin to bloom and he had a couple of other things he wanted to get put into motion before that happened.

From further down the hall two puzzled boys stepped out of their own alcove. They had slipped in when they saw their PE teacher drop a planter off in front of their mother's door and then hide himself. They were insanely curious as to what he might be up too and so had waited semi-patiently to see what would happen. They had noticed the lack of a note with the gift and weren't sure if their mother knew who it was from or if it was supposed to be a secret admirer gift. They also weren't sure whether or not they should mention what they had seen to her. If she knew then why bring it up? And if it was supposed to be a surprise then why ruin it for him? A couple of speaking glances between the two determined that for now they would keep silent and observe. If it looked like Oliver was attempting to court their mother then they would have to decide whether or not he was worthy.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

Severus would be loath to admit it vocally but he was actually rather grateful that Tommy Oliver had talked him into helping out with the young Potter's situation. Not only was he getting the opportunity to put things right with Lily's child, but he was also getting the chance to stretch his devious mind in all sorts of new and fascinating ways. He hadn't gotten a chance to be this devious in a while, but tracking down the person ultimately responsible for the grievous miscarriage of justice enacted upon young Lord Potter was proving to be quite entertaining for the wily Slytherin. So far he had determined that the culprit was not the late Dumbledore. The man had been a bit of a manipulative so and so but he was not, so far as Severus had been able to determine, responsible for the fact that Potter knew nothing about his heritage. A conversation, discretely, with Minerva, had gotten him the information that the Professor had in fact believed that Potter's heritage education was being taken care of. Frustratingly, however, she had no idea who his mentor was supposed to have been. Severus found himself wishing that the thrice-damned portrait of the old goat in the Headmaster's office would just wake up already, but magical portraits took a while to wake after their subject passed and the older the subject the longer it took.

Resigned to not being able to gain the information the easy way Severus was currently spending a perfectly lovely Saturday digging through the records kept in the deepest bowels of the Ministry of Magic. Well, perhaps, he conceded, not the deepest bowels. Those were reserved for the Unspeakables. But it might as well be the deepest bowels since there was no natural light and next to no candles or lanterns either. The argument was that it would damage the older parchments kept in the room. Severus personally thought that was a crock of manure, that's what preserving charms were for. Or separate rooms since very few people were looking for records from 1066. He also thought, as he set aside several reams of parchment regarding the leases of Diagon Alley, mixed in with birth records, bonding agreements and a few marriage certificates that perhaps the Ministry should invest in a couple of people to organize the damn place. As it was he could be here for ages since it was apparent that the charms that had once existed to organize it had long since fallen and while all relevant paperwork was still automatically copied to the Ministry Office of Records it did not automatically copy into anything that remotely resembled an obvious location.

Sighing and shifting on the uncomfortable wooden stool Severus shoved aside the stack of parchment and reached for the rest of the stack still in the box on the table. The only way to sort through this mess was a piece at a time so he might as well keep going. Eyeing the smaller stack sitting to the other side of his pile of discards he let a small, evil looking smirk grow on his face, at least he was getting some worthy blackmail material out of this endeavor.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

Harry Potter was tired, frustrated and desperately in need of a break. He had spent the morning in Hogsmeade with his best friends Ron and Hermione. However, he had skipped on them after lunch, growing uncomfortable with being the third wheel. Returning to the castle he had headed up to the Room of Requirement and after having the room provide him with some opponents he had dueled and sparred until he tired of the exercise. He was currently lounging on a plushy carpeted floor, provided by the Room once he had thought that it might be nice to have a comfortable place to do some studying. The Room had given him a comfortable study with a huge desk, several plush chairs and a couch as well as the plush carpet he was currently lounged on. He had started the desk before moving to sprawl on one of the chairs and then finally the floor. His homework for the weekend completed he had summoned the thick folder full of parchment sheets about his investments. He had done as Severus had suggested and written to Gringotts requesting a full accounting of his vaults. The envelope containing their answer was dauntingly thick and had been shoved into the folder as well until Harry had the time to deal with it.

With a sigh Harry pulled the envelope out of the folder and sliding his nail under the wax seal he managed to pry the thing open. As an afterthought he muttered to himself that he really needed to get a letter opener and then jumped as a silver letter opener engraved with the initials GIHG dropped into his lap. Setting it to his side, and muttering about stupid half sentient rooms that could have at least foretold his need for a letter opener, Harry turned his attention to the letter wrapped around the scarily large stack of parchments. Setting it aside he started as a plate of biscuits and a pitcher of cold juice appeared next to him. After staring at it for a moment he grinned and settled in to eat his snack before delving into the mountain of parchment in front of him.

PRHP PRHP PRHP PRHP

Tommy was not having a particularly good Saturday. He'd started it by oversleeping. Normally laying about in bed until 9 on a Saturday would be no big deal but he was supposed to be chaperoning the children in Hogsmeade, and was supposed to be in the Entrance Hall at 8:45 to walk down with the first of the kids. So when a silvery animal thing started nosing him and then talking in the strictly harsh tones of Minerva McGonagall he was not happy to see that his alarm was blinking 9:15 quite innocently at him. He'd tossed on some cloths, taking only enough time to be sure they matched before setting off at a dead run for the Entrance Hall. From that point on his day hadn't gotten measurably better. Rosmerta, the proprietress of the Three Broomsticks, had had to start him an account since he'd forgotten to bring any Wizard money with him and needed something for lunch. Now he was going to have to remember to get down there at some point and pay her for that. Then one of the little 3rd years had found him to tell him that another one wasn't feeling well. Now he was headed back to the castle with an armful of feverish third year boy and clothes that were going to be thrown out the moment he got a chance since he was pretty sure he would never get neon green vomit out of them.

He had been planning to waylay Kim and take her to the little café that had just opened in the town and apologize to her for what he had said about the boys but that was apparently no longer in the cards. As he shifted his burden of child to make the boy who was a bit to tall to be comfortably carried a bit easier to manage he set his mind to work contemplating how exactly he was going to pull her aside to issue his apology. He wanted to do it before the rose bloomed, otherwise he was afraid she might pitch it against a wall or something when she realized who it was from. After he apologized he planned on pulling the boys aside and talking to them as well. He hadn't decided if he needed to apologize to them as well, even though they probably didn't know what he had said he still felt bad, or if he was just going to offer to add them to his lessons with a couple of the other more promising martial arts students. He had approached McGonagall and she was more than okay with the idea of him offering extra classes to the gifted students.


End file.
